


Tattoo Heart

by cruelspook



Category: Harry Styles/ Zayn Malik - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Infidelity, M/M, No String Attach, Pining, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 68,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25352080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cruelspook/pseuds/cruelspook
Summary: In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Nick Grimshaw, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles, Zayn Malik/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1

"Zayn." He hears someone sobs, but the sound was distant and hazy. He can feel his head throb in pain. His eyes are heavily shut as if they had been glued close for so long. He tries to blink the heaviness of his eyes away, and when he successfully opened them for a mere second he was greeted by a spinning room and blurry faces. He groans again and closes his eyes for a moment of recovery.

"Zayn, love." Another sob. He feels his hand taken from his side.

His mouth was dry. "Mum?" He groans.

He immediately hears several shuffling feet neared his bed.

"Oh, Zayn, darling." His mum breathes in relief.

When he finally opens his eyes, it was clear to him that he's in a hospital room. His whole family surrounds his bed with hopeful faces. 

"What happened?" He asks, though he remembers perfectly. Fire at the school lab where he and Louis were testing their electromagnetism experiment when Lou suddenly electrified the wrong wire - sparking a small fire that rapidly turned big, and when Zayn tried to put it out with a rag, his wrist got caught in the fire. He remembers being in an unbearable pain before he lost consciousness.

He frowns then looks down at his right arm. Instead of seeing the heart tattoo he's been acquainted of seeing for the past fifteen years of his life, he saw a gauze wrapped on it instead.

His dad reaches for his left hand "Look, love -"

"Zayn, you splendid piece of moron!" Everyone turns to the door where Louis opened it with a loud clamor before running into Zayn's side and hugging him tightly. Zayn pats him on the back, spitting Louis' brown hair when it comes to his mouth.

"Louis, get your hair off my mouth."

"I can't." He whines "I thought you were going to die, you dolt. Then I'd be forced to moved out of the country and start a new life because I'll be blamed for your death."

"So you're going to be a refugee instead?"

"That's the plan. I'd take that any day than get locked up and become a human dildo to the prisoners."

"Louis Tomlinson!" Zayn's mother scolds him, hitting Louis on the back of his head.

"Ouch!" Louis cries out rubbing his head, and when he turns around and sees Trisha Malik glaring at him, he gulps nervously "I mean what's a dildo? I don't have that in the bottom drawer of my closet."

Zayn rolls his eyes "Yes, because that would be under your pillow."

"Shut it, Malik!" Louis glares at him.

Zayn rolls his eyes again before turning back to his mum "Is- is it all right?" He asks.

His mum doesn't need to ask what he's referring to because they all know what he's on about. They all look at his wrist where the gauze is covering his burned tattoo. Trisha sniffles before caressing Zayn's face. "Darling, don't worry about that right now-"

"Mum, I think he needs to know." Don interrupts her with a disapproving frown.

"Doniya!" His mum hisses. "We all agreed that we wouldn't tell him this early."

"But, mum, Don's right." Waliyah interjects "He should know about it as soon as possible."

"No, Liyah. Your mother was right. We should give Zayn some time to rest first before we tell him." Yaser argues.

"But, dad, he'll find out about it sooner or later." Doniya crosses her arms "And if I were Zayn, I would want to know about it immediately-"

"Will you please stop talking as if I'm not here." Zayn frowns "What happened?"

"Darling." His mum starts. Zayn was suddenly alarmed when he saw a teardrop escaped from his mother's eyes. "Your wrist. Your skin was burned so badly." She sobs as if it's the end of Zayn's world.

"The doctor had to skim your skin so the blisters won't spread up to your forearm." Yaser continues the tragic news with a heavy heart. "Your tattoo faded." Then his parents started sobbing, his sisters had the pity looks on their faces and Louis looks remorseful.

It took everything in Zayn not to breakdown with them. Ever since he was young enough to understand the power of his tattoo -that it has the ability to make Zayn the happiest- he had come to believe that the source of his contentment in the future would be because of what his tattoo can do regardless of being successful in life or not. At least he'll be happy with his soulmate.

Zayn relies on the fact that with the tattoo, he'll find his true love and make him the happiest man alive.

His mum used to tell him that his tattoo would only turn red if he sees his soulmate, then he would feel a rush of intense feeling of affection and fascination, and all his problems would feel like it never even existed.

But she also reminded Zayn that even with a tattoo that could help them find their true love, it doesn't mean that they can find them in an instant.

Some people have to travel all over the world to find their soulmate. Some only find their match when they're at their forties or sixties. While some only finds them after they get married to their childhood best friend or high school sweetheart. Only destiny can truly help; to be in a right place at a right time is substantial.

He used to think of the moment when his tattoo would be shaded. He was excited by the thought of it, but now that he knows he'll never experience it made him feel like he has lost a part of himself that nothing or no one could ever fill. 

The only reassuring thing was that he got to witness his other friend, Ant, find his soulmate. He was there when Ant's right wrist tingled then his tattoo turned red. It was as fascinating as Zayn ever imagined.

He never considered for one moment that his tattoo would fade regardless of stories he heard about some people who lose their tattoos due to their predicament. He heard of them not finding their true love, and just decides to settle with someone who hasn't either. But at the end of the day they still learn to love the person they ended up with despite knowing that they could've felt the greatest love if only their tattoos hadn't fade. So maybe, Zayn could live with that. Maybe, he doesn't need the tattoo to be truly happy. He doesn't need it to fall in love, maybe.

When his mum releases another sob, he flinches. He muster a reassuring smile before turning to her "Mum, it's going to be all right." He grasps her shaking hand "I'm not sad about it. I don't need it to be happy. I know that we create our own happiness, there's no need for me to depend on such irrelevant thing to dictate on what I should feel."

"You're not sad about it?" His mum asks.

Zayn hesitates for a while "I'm quite all right. Besides I don't need it when I got the lot of you." He says which receives an eye roll from his sisters, a smack to the head from Louis and a relief sigh from both of his parents.

**9 years later.**

It was packed and hot inside. Zayn couldn't see properly with the smoke in the air and people dancing all around him. He can't even move without elbowing someone. Everything was indistinguishable except for the sweaty, attractive blonde dancing against him.

Well, not exactly dancing. More of grinding. Her hands frequently find itself on Zayn's chest then on his hips, and then finally against his crotch, but her hands would be gone before Zayn could even blink. She's teasing him, he knows, but as his hands lands on her bum and she grinds against it, he wasn't complaining a bit. Especially when her tongue snaked into his mouth and lick him on the corner of his lips.

They were both drunk and high - and it felt fucking fantastic. Louis and his date all ready left them on their own which is good, because the girl took Zayn's hands and rest it under her bare breast underneath her dampening shirt. If Louis sees them like this, he would've torn them apart in a flash.

To be honest, taking a drug tonight was not on his agenda, but his intentions dissipated when Louis' date pulled a pack of magic mushrooms out of her purse. They all took a pill then washed it down with a vodka. The girl Zayn's dancing with - Nicole- saw them and offered them her own pill which they took without a second thought. The newly digested drug prompted Zayn to take Nicole by her arms and pull her to the dance floor.

That's where they were now, bodies pressed more and flushed together. They were rocking intimately to the loud music, lips smashing against each other aggressively. Their tongues were stuck down each other's throat and god, it felt exhilarating. Nicole's pill made it a hundred times better.

His brows furrow when Nicole's tongue suddenly left his mouth. His eyes opened when the air around him lower for a bit when she abruptly pulled apart, taking her body heat with her.

"Baby, let's take this back to my car." She grins, biting Zayn's lips then pulling it. Despite her suggestion, she started kissing and sucking his neck vigorously. Her head nuzzling his neck, which gave Zayn an ample view in front of him. His eyes were about to shut close from the pleasure when something caught his eyes.

His breath falters, not because of Nicole and whatever she's doing with his neck, but because of the beautiful boy in his line of sight. It must be because of how his alluring curly hair is held up by a bandana, or how his skin looks appealing and delicious under the yellow lights, or how he stands entrancingly beautiful by the table next to his mates or how the curve of his lips and the glow on his eyes made him look like the most fascinating, bewitching person Zayn had ever seen.

When Zayn sees him it took every ounce of him not to approach him stupidly. When he sees him laugh it took every ounce of Zayn not to stare at him openly. And when Zayn sees him smile it took every ounce of him.

Then their eyes locked into each other. And Zayn could've sworn his legs falter and his breath hitched and his heart skipped a beat and somewhere deep inside him something he didn't know existed came alight.

Zayn's shoulders suddenly tremble, his spine fucking shivered, his heart accelerated faster, and his right hand tingled as if he just touched something unbelievably cold with his fingertip. His body seems to be ablaze with euphoria and pure bliss.

There's something unusual with how his body and mind especially his fucking heart reacts towards the beautiful strangers' eyes - something deeply spiritual. There's something also natural with how they look at each other, and how his soul seemed to reach for him and whisper 'Hello'.

Zayn stopped breathing when the stranger with the beautiful curly hair and a more beautiful eyes took a single step towards his direction. And it was enough to feel something flutter in his stomach.

Then the next thing Zayn knows is that his face had been taken in between someone's hands and a pair of sinful lips crashed into his. Zayn struggles from Nicole's vice like grip for a bit, still intrigued and fascinated by the strange reaction and feeling he got just by looking at someone.

How can someone make him feel this way? Then a more rational reason dawn on him, he's high and drunk, and more importantly high!

Nicole slipped him an ecstasy when they were snogging a while ago, and he rarely takes that kind of drug, so what he felt - the consuming, burning, intense feeling a while ago must be a side effect. With that reassuring thought, he grabs Nicole by the back of her neck and deepen their kiss. It became more frantic and desperate as a pair of eyes and a certain face remains on his mind even when Nicole dragged him to the loo. Even when she got down on her knees and suck him. Even when he went home with her and fuck her. The last and only thing on his mind was the boy's face, absolutely missing the way the boy's right wrist turned red.

*******

"I can take a shower here right?" An unfamiliar voice from the living room says, deliberately pulling Zayn out of his sleeping state.

"Just don't use my stuff!" Another voice exclaims. Zayn knows whose that annoyingly loud voice belongs to. It's Louis'. Zayn grunts lifting his pillow and putting it on top of his head, trying to block out the noise.

"Which one?" The unknown voice asks. Zayn huffs again tightening his hold onto his pillow.

"Anything that smells nice is mine." Louis says "Use my flatmate's stuff instead."

"Will he be all right with that?"

There was a long pause before Louis lets out a nervous chuckle "Yeah, sure."

Zayn scowls when the sleepiness in him disappears as the two voices continues to make it's way through Zayn's thin bedroom wall. One thing that's certain about Zayn is how cranky and irritable he gets when he's woken up by something or someone else other than his alarm. His mood worsen when he'd awaken in a hot temperature and a headache.

Zayn looks at his bedside to see if the girl he slept with last night had already gone and snuck out before he wakes - those are his favorite type of people in a one night stand. He groans when he's met with the sight of the Nicole's blonde hair buried deep in his duvet. He taps her shoulders multiple of times and when she still hadn't budge, he rolls his eyes before leaving her be.

With only in his boxers, he exits his room heading for the loo, but before he can reach the threshold, the bathroom door shuts close. His eyebrows furrows before turning to look at Louis who's sitting at the couch eating his cereal.

"Who's at the bathroom this time?" He asks, giving Louis a vexed look.

He shakes his head "Don't get all annoyed now, Zayn." He tsk "Met him at the pub last night."

Zayn rolls his eyes, ambling towards his favorite spot on the couch and laying there on his stomach "He? What happened to Chelsi? I thought she was your date." He mumbles.

"She was being a stupid drunk." Louis grunts "She went home with another bloke."

Zayn laughs at Louis' confession "Just because she went home with someone else doesn't mean she's stupid. If anything it made her seem smart."

"Don't mock me, you insufferable swine." Louis scowls. "No matter. At least I still get to go home with someone last night. He's ten times more attractive than your last night fuck." He scoffs, motioning towards Zayn's open bedroom door where they can see the girl's blonde hair.

"Uh-huh." Zayn says, loosing his interest immediately.

Louis rolls his eyes before going back to describing the bloke he left with. "He's so fit he doesn't even have to suck me for me to come." 

"Well, that's embarrassing." Zayn snorts rolling into his side so he doesn't get to see Louis.

"Twat." Louis grumbles "All I'm saying is he's unbelievably attractive! And don't even get me started with that voice." He moans.

"Please stop." Zayn mumbles "You're making me think that you're about to pull out your dick and jack off."

"Please." Louis huffs "If you've seen him as well you're going to join me jack off to his pretty face."

Zayn ignores him.

"The only off thing about him is that he already found his soulmate." He says "Such a shame, 'cos I would love to play house with him even for a little while."

Zayn frowns, intrigued by the new piece of information. He turns around to look back at Louis "He all ready found his soulmate? Why did he sleep with you then? Does that mean he's cheating?"

"He didn't sleep with me." Louis rolls his eyes "We just did the basic stuff."

"That's still considered as cheating, you fool." Zayn scowls "Are you sure he has a soulmate?"

"I'm sure. I saw his tattoo last night. It's red."

"Then why is he cheating on his soulmate? That's just-"

"Unheard of?" Louis finishes his thought.

"Yes." He frowns "It's odd."

"I dunno. I didn't get the chance to ask him when came on my face last night." He grins.

Zayn rolls his eyes.

"By the way, remember when you told me that Jacque got fired last week at your work?" Louis asks. "Well, this bloke I slept with is looking for a job, and I just happened to tell him about you and a lacking worker at he theater."

At the mention of his work, Zayn's head snaps up from his idle position "Crap." He mutters, running to his bedroom and wearing the first thing he sees on the floor.

"What?" Louis asks, tone idle.

"Work. I'm late." Zayn sputters, buttoning his trousers while toeing his shoes on. "Tell Michael to leave his phone number if he's interested in serving popcorns." Then he's out of the flat.

"Who's Michael?" Louis shouts after Zayn, who closes the door of their flat with a bang due to his urgency at the same time the bathroom door of their flat opens and comes out a dripping bloke with a towel wrapped around his waist. Tiny beads of water run down his hair and bare chest.

"Who was that?"

Louis shrugs "My flatmate. You just missed him."

"Oh." He frowns "He sounds...nice."

"No need to patronize him, he's already gone." Louis snorts.

"No, I really do mean it."

"Yeah, right. I doubt you'll like him." Louis laughs, finding it hard to believe that Harry will like Zayn.

*******

Zayn was panting. He could vividly feel the small beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, and the deliberate dampening of his back that makes his shirt sticks disgustingly onto his skin. He only has six more minutes left until he'll be marked as late again, which would be his fourth time this week.

It was Louis' fault that he's late. Again. If it weren't for Louis accidentally locking the bathroom from the inside, Zayn wouldn't be in such haste, though Louis argued that it was Zayn's fault as well for losing their bathroom key. The twat also had the nerve to tell Zayn to calm down, that getting fired from a movie theater wouldn't be much of a loss anyway. Zayn has to remind him that his work at a movie premiere is the reason why they can see free movies from time to time.

He was fully sprinting the moment he got off the bus that was 200 meters away from his work. Paul made it clear that if he turned up late again after the twelfth time he had for the last two months, he'll be scraping gums off the cinema seats.

When his watch made a sound that alerted him that it's 8:00 - the time Paul considers late - and he's still a block away from the cinema, Zayn stops sprinting and opt for walking instead. Well, if he's late, then he's late.

No matter how fast he sprints, he'll still be marked as late and he'll still be penalized.

When he finally got to the theater, he was surprised not to see Paul by the entrance, tapping his foot impatiently with his face set into a hiss as he waits for Zayn like he always does when he realizes that he's most cavalier employee whom is always fashionably late to everything is not on his post.

Zayn sighs in relief, maybe Paul hasn't realized that he's late.

"Zayn!" He turns to look at Mira, the one whom apparently said his name. She beckons for him to come with an enthusiasm of a child. He went to the ticket booth, where she and their other colleague, Mitch were seated behind the counter.

"Hey." Zayn greets when he gets in front of them.

"I just want to say thank you!" She gushes at him. Zayn looks at her in wonder, cocking his head to the side. "The bloke you recruited is here and he is so fit! I hope he's my match!" She gushes.

Zayn was confused for a moment till he remembers Harry, the strange bloke Louis suggested to Zayn as a replacement for Jacque. It has been weeks since Zayn has no help in taking orders and serving food and drinks at the theater's concession stand, and it is a relief knowing that someone would be helping him from now on. Zayn forgot that Harry's first day as an employee at the theater would start today.

"You didn't tell me you had a fit mate, Zayn!" Mira playfully slaps him on his arm.

Zayn shrugs, because up until three days ago he doesn't even know any bloke named Harry.

And to think that he and Harry had been texting every now and then ever since Louis gave him his number is ridiculous.

When Zayn received a small pink paper containing eleven numbers with a happy face and a winking face next to it, Zayn thought Louis' fucking with him. He had been skeptic of wanting this unorthodox bloke to work at his workplace from then on. And when Zayn texted Harry if he wants to work at the Royal Cinema theater, he replied at three in the morning, asking if the position he'll be applying for is the manager's, which he subsequently replied with 'Joking, mate. Sorry not sorry ;)' then proceed to ask if Zayn listens to Lionel Ritchie.

He and Harry text often enough which is saying a lot, because he'd only gotten his number three days ago. Even when Zayn's out toking a cig and feels his phone vibrated, Zayn doesn't need to check whom it's from, because he all ready knows it's from Harry.

In only three days he'd known that bloke, Zayn all ready has an idea that Harry will have trouble understanding the term of personal space.

"God, I can't wait to officially meet Hazzy." Mira swoons.

"Hazzy?" Mitch cringes "Does he even know you exist?"

Mira glares at him. "Of course! I'm his match."

"He's not your match for the tenth time." Mitch rolls his eyes.

"You wouldn't know that!" She glares at him before turning to Zayn "Anyway, I still can't believe you hid that kind of information from me."

"What information?"

"About having an attractive friend!" She exclaims as if it should've been obvious to Zayn.

"Uhm well..." Zayn doesn't know what to say. He doesn't want to go into a long explanation that he doesn't know Harry till three days ago. Plus, he doesn't know what Harry actually looks like, so he can't comment about Harry's looks.

"What do you think about me asking him on a date?" She grins.

He shrugs "Actually, he already found his soulmate." Zayn gives her an empathetic smile "Sorry, Mira."

Mitch lets out a booming laugh "Well, that's just disappointing." He teases "You can wipe the drool off of your mouth now, Mira."

"Shut up, you twat." She punches Mitch on his arms.

"Is Paul here?" Zayn asks interrupting Mitch and Mira's banter.

Mitch nods "He's been talking to Harry ever since he got here-"

Zayn sighs in relief "So, he doesn't know I'm late? that's good."

"Malik!" The familiar, agitating voice of Paul made Zayn bristle. He turns to look at the glaring man. "Why aren't you in your post?" Before Zayn can think of a lie, Paul holds up his hand and shakes his head "You know what, we'll talk about that later. Here's Harry, he'll be helping you at the concession stand."

Zayn doesn't know how he doesn't notice Harry sooner, but looking at him made Zayn's right hand tingle. There was something about him that vitalize and calm Zayn all at once. 

Looking at him sparks something inside Zayn. Harry. That's his name. This unbelievably beautiful person's name with an attractive curly hair, glowing skin, and mesmerizing eyes. Under a fluorescent light and a clear daylight that's passing through the open, Zayn can see his eyes clearly. It was the most remarkable eyes Zayn had ever seen. They were laughing eyes, at once both joyous and tender: they were the radiant dark green that can be easily compared to an Amazonian forest.

Zayn was overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting him close, as if his whole body and mind is being gravitated to him. Harry, without doubt, is one of the most beautiful person he had ever have the pleasure of seeing. It was a face so finely cut that it cast the oldness of this cinema into stark relief - a beauty that burned so fiercely that it put the glare of electric lights to shame. His skin was so white and clear that it seemed to have a light shining behind it. The lines of his jaw and his throat were so perfect that he almost looked like a statue were it not for the much disheveled curly hair strand that falls into his face.

Zayn was stunned to silent by Harry's beauty. He didn't know that the Harry he's been texting is an attractive person. Jesus Christ, Zayn's been texting a person that looks like a God. He suddenly wants to read his previous messages and replies to Harry to see if he had made a fool of himself in their messages.

It was Harry whom broke the silence and their strange stare off first. "Hi." He whispers in a melodic, enchanting voice "You're Zayn, right?"

His throat feels dry "I am, and you're Harry. Hi." Zayn waves idiotically.

He didn't miss the way Harry's eyes flicker to Zayn's wrist, where a ton of bracelets are covering his burned tattoo. He frowns, and Zayn suddenly feels like he did something wrong.

"Zayn," Paul snaps "Stop staring at Harry as if it's your first time seeing a boy." He scoffs.

Zayn suddenly wants the ground to open up and swallow him whole "Help Harry. Oh, and don't think that I didn't know that you were late. I better see you on your knees scraping off gums after your shift." With that he turns around to go back to his office, leaving Harry and Zayn stupidly glancing at each other, and by some unknown reason to Zayn, if the world ends today, he feels like he wouldn't even notice as he stares at the most enchanting green eyes he has ever seen.

*******

Zayn's drinking again. It was stupid. Incredibly, dismayingly stupid to be drinking over something so petty. He blames it on Harry. He wouldn't be drinking if it weren't for that horrible looking twat in his magnificent, testosterone-induced, sex god face...pettiness.

For the whole day, Zayn waited for him to make a move; to ask him how the popcorn machine works, the price of their beverages, the direction to the loo, and maybe to a fucking snog, but to Zayn's disbelief and strangely inane feeling of utter betrayal he didn't. In fact Harry didn't even said a word to him other than 'goodbye' when his shift ended. And whenever Zayn walks over to Harry, Harry would make a mad dash to the other side of the room as if Zayn's carrying a plague in his pocket.

So with that, Zayn's drinking his feelings away, trying to forget everything about Harry, and so far he had succeeded in not thinking about him at all. He's not thinking of him. Not even close. Not even if it would cure leprosy. As a matter of fact, who the fuck is Harry fucking Styles anyway? He's just Zayn's shockingly attractive curly-haired co-worker. The one with adorable dimples and the one who doesn't want to talk to Zayn.

Why doesn't he talk to Zayn?

Why why why?

Three days prior, Harry had been sending him relentless messages about work and his "relevant" skills that could help them gain more customers such as his competent ability to juggle and dance. Even when Zayn's at the toilet taking a crap, his phone will blare from Harry's insubstantial messages. And now that they finally meet face-to-face, it's like Harry's not interested in talking to him anymore; like he lost all of his time and energy.

Zayn was talking to an insanely attractive girl when from the corner of his eyes he spots a mop of curly hair making its way to the men's loo. Zayn lost all sense then. Surely that can't be Harry. There are a lot of men with curly hair and vibrant of sexiness and sex. Harry Styles can't be the only one...right?

But Zayn still follows after him, not quite sure why. He just have a mad feeling of wanting to see. Maybe it's the effects of the alcohol. The alcohol that's making him yearn for that stupid bloke and making him drink and follow a bloke that may or may not be Harry.

When he pushes the door open, it was all he can do not to stumble idiotically and sigh dreamily when he spots Harry facing the urinals, doing his business.

"Harry." Zayn swoons. When Harry glances at him, his eyes went wide as he looks down at the urinal then back to Zayn.

And oh, Zayn just realized how awkward and strange this whole situation is for Harry. Zayn mentally slaps himself.

"Hi Zayn." Harry says as he finishes and zips up his trousers.

Hearing him say his name made Zayn smile drunkenly "You said my name." He giggles.

He chuckles "Are you drunk?"

Zayn frowns " 'Course not."

"Okay." He says, rubbing his neck awkwardly "What are you doing here?"

Zayn stiffens at that. He looks at the cubicles, wondering if he should go in so he can have an excuse for going to the loo, but killed that thought immediately, he doesn't want Harry to think he needs to take a dump. Then he looks at the urinals, thinking if he could just pretend he needs to pee, but what if Harry sticks around to wash his hands and not hear any sounds coming from Zayn? So, he went to the sink to wash his hands instead.

"Just washing my hands." He mumbles, bowing his head as he turns on the faucet, not wanting Harry to see his reddening cheeks. Harry looks at him briefly before shuffling for the door.

But before Harry can step out, something in Zayn snaps "Why are you doing that?" He asks, turning to Harry who has his hands frozen on the doorknob. He turns to Zayn with a confused, frightened look. He looks clearly caught off guard.

"W-what?" He stammer, still looking like a deer caught in a headlight.

"You don't talk to me." Zayn glares, hating the way he sounds like a spoiled kid. "You ignored me at work."

"O-oh." He flushes "Uhm..I-I'm sorry?"

"When we were texting you've given me an expression that you're the type that never runs out of words or can't keep to himself for more than a minute, but when you got to the cinema it's like you don't even know how to talk." Zayn doesn't know where he got the confidence to say all that, but God, he's sounding like Harry broke up with him. "Were you even the same person I was texting?" He scoffs.

"Of course, that was me." He says with a horrified look on his face, clearly frightened by Zayn's attitude. "I just...don't know how to talk to you."

Zayn looks at him with incredulity "You talked to me over the phone for three days."

"I didn't know you would look like this then." He points accusingly at Zayn.

Zayn frowns "Like what?"

Harry blushes "You just look so goddamn attractive, that it would be believable if you introduced yourself as George Clooney and Julia Roberts' long lost son. And you look so breathtaking, it's like you're a random photo from the internet that's been heavily photoshop and have crazy amounts of filters. And you look so fit, you could be a model or an actor and become one of Jennifer Aniston's ex-boyfriend or the fourth husband of Angelina Jolie. And you're so mesmerizing that you could probably start a war like what Helen of Troy's beauty did."

Zayn can't find it in himself to even chuckle, play it off as a joke. He was too shock to even blink "You think I'm that attractive?"

"Y-yeah." Harry says "I'm sorry." He moans "I'm weird."

Zayn's mouth gone dry "Yes- I mean no. Is that why you don't talk to me?"

Harry shrugs. Zayn walks towards him until they're a foot away "I don't want to talk to you 'cos ..." He trails off looking wholly guilty and embarrassed "I have a soulmate."

Zayn blinks. He already knows this because of Louis, but he doesn't know why that matters. Zayn bites his lips as his eyes wanders to Harry's wrist and sure enough his tattoo was glowing red.

Harry raises up his wrist in confusion as if it was the first time he's seeing his tattoo glow. "This is odd. I've never seen my tattoo glow before." He gapes.

Zayn chuckles bitterly, hating the gnawing, twisting feeling he feels in his heart. "Well, I don't know anything about that. I haven't had the luck of finding my soulmate yet." Zayn smiles tiredly as Harry looks away "I might actually never find him."

Something in Harry shifted. His eyes darkens as his mouth sets into a straight line. "Yes, I doubt you will." He says in a strange tone.

Zayn raises his eyebrows, not expecting that kind of answer.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you have a ton of bracelet around your wrist and there's a cover on your tattoo as if you don't even want to find him." He says "Or her." He adds after a long while.

Zayn frowns, and before he could even stop himself, he started unwrapping his covers on his wrist. "I had an incident when I was a kid." He says, removing the accessories and showing Harry his burned, disarray skin . "After a few months of the incident I finally lived with it. I learned to accept it and I wasn't as bitter anymore. Having it burned made me realize something: that people are so crazy to find their match that they don't know how to use their hearts anymore." He looks away "Or maybe I'm just bitter." He shakes his head. He can't believe he just shared that piece of information to someone he barely knows, especially since his burned tattoo is such a sensitive topic for him.

Harry looks at him in wonder.

"So, I'm all right if I never find my soulmate. I made my peace over that fact years ago. Hopefully I'll love the person I'll end up with as much as someone who finds their soulmate will." Zayn shrugs.

Harry blinks, looking at him directly in the eye "I hope the person you end up with will know how lucky they are." He mumbles "And as for your soulmate, I feel so sorry for him. "

*******

Harry's gay, or so he tells Zayn between mouthfuls of chips and slushies on the way out of a Kebab shop. Zayn doesn't need an incentive when Harry asked if he wants to go to the store across the pub with him. He basically walked out of the there looking like a lost puppy, following behind Harry.

Ever since their encounter in the loo, Harry's been uncharacteristically loud and verbose, never running out of stories or stupidity. Zayn was relief that the Harry he talked to over the phone has finally emerged and made himself known real.

"-I was only nine when I saw what love looks like from my cousin's eyes. And since then I fell in love with the idea of wanting to be with my match." He smiles as he and Zayn sits down on the sidewalk outside of the Kebab shop, both of their slushies in hand.

Zayn stares at the ground "And you found your match, didn't you?" He mumbles.

Harry doesn't say anything for a while before he shakes his head and shrugs "I saw him. And it felt so exhilarating and invigorating and I felt so fucking soft that I could've swear anything could touch me and leave a mark." He says in a voice that was so painfully love sick that it made Zayn look away.

"What happened then?" Zayn asks looking at the streetlamp that's a few feet away.

"He saw me." He chuckles humorlessly "Then he kissed someone else."

Zayn turns to Harry so fast his neck gave an audible crack. "He'd what?" He ask, incredulous.

Harry shrugs "I thought that I had been mistaken, that my tattoo didn't actually glow and it was only the trick of light, but when I looked at my wrist again it was glowing red."

"Then what happened?" Zayn asks "Surely you went up to him, right?"

Harry shakes his head "I was piss." He snorts "Can't even walk straight."

"What?"

"I was too drunk to the point I can't even walk straight." He clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"I'm sorry." Zayn offers a sympathetic smile.

He shrugs "I was so confused and lost. It was devastating. It broke my heart knowing that I've spent so much time thinking of how the two of us would meet, and to have to meet him that way was simply heartbreaking."

Zayn snorts "If I see him, I'll punch this bitch in the face."

Harry smiles tiredly "No, it's my fault, if I hadn't gotten that drunk then I could've gone to him and introduced myself-"

"It's not your fault, Harry." Zayn interjects fiercely "You were drunk! He's the one with no excuse, he should've sense his tattoo glow too."

"He did." Harry replies "I actually saw him because I felt his stare on me, but then he still kissed that girl."

Zayn's jaw clenches in irritation for Harry's soulmate. For treating him like this. "Do you think you'll ever see him again?"

"I dunno." He shrugs "Our tattoos are the only thing that helps us determine who's our soulmate, and since mine has been already shaded red, I don't think it could turn any redder than this." He says, showing his exposed wrist to Zayn.

Zayn was quiet for a while, before he thought of Ant and his proclaimed symptoms when his soulmate was around "My friend told me that the first few times he was around his soulmate he could literally feel his tattoo. He said his wrist keeps...tingling." For some reason it made Zayn rub his covered wrist.

Harry huffs out a quiet laugh, shaking his head "I don't think that would work, because mine has been tingling all day. It's like-"

"Touching a winter cold water with your finger, and making your whole arm to your fucking scalp shiver?"

"I thought you said you don't know what it feels like?" He furrows his eyebrows.

Zayn finds himself shrugging.

Harry's eyes narrows as he scrutinizes him "You know, when I first met you, you reminded me of someone."

"Who?"

"I don't know." He narrows his eyes again as if he's trying to dissect Zayn "Your ambiance is just so familiar."

Zayn shrugs "A lot of people have mentioned that I have a common face."

Harry lets out a disbelief laugh "If a lot of people looks like you, then everyone is beautiful."

Zayn turns away, not wanting Harry to see his flushed face and blazing eyes. "How did you meet your soulmate? if you don't mind me asking"

He shakes his head. "Like I've told you, we were in a party. I was drunk, it was dark and full of smoke, and I can't remember him clearly." He says his green eyes staring intently at Zayn as if he wants to unravel him. "But I knew that when I spotted him that night, I felt like I was being hypnotized to just stare at him and admire him." And suddenly Zayn is leaning in; their faces were so close to each other that if Zayn tips his head for a little bit their noses would touch. "It's like everything around me vanishes and the only thing that I can see was him and only him. I feel myself being gravitated towards him, like my heart is screaming at me to run to him and love him like it's my last dying breath. And to honor him and praise him and never let him go." He mumbles, the distance between their faces were narrowing so fast that it both scares and excites Zayn at the same time. Then all too sudden, Harry leans away, creating a huge gap between them "And then he kissed someone else."

Zayn felt breathless "What did you do then?"

"I let him go." He answers candidly before looking away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.

Zayn sighs in frustration as he kneels down for what seems like the hundredth time in front of a theater seat to check if a gum had been stuck underneath. Zayn clicks the roof of his mouth when for the fifteenth time he didn't find any gum. He grumbles about how stupid this is as he moves to another chair to check. This goes on for another several minutes, only using the scraper twice to scrape off the only two gums he found under the seats.

He groans in annoyance, because he should be at home by now. It doesn't help as well, knowing that he's the only person left at the theater to finish this spiteful repercussion of being tardy.

He curses Louis under his breath. It was his fault that Zayn's scraping gums off the chairs so late at night when he should've been at home sleeping by now or at the pub making out with the bartender with the lip ring. He didn't mean to be late again. If it weren't for Louis' accidentally locking themselves in their flat, Zayn could've been here earlier. It was unbelievable how Louis had the ability to jam their door. They have to knock it down for the both of them to get out of their flat. Zayn doesn't even know how they got locked in, but he was certain it was Louis' fault, because he was the last one who got home last night. He was just surprised that when he tried to open their door this morning, it wouldn't even budge no matter the amount of force he exerted on it.

It was over an hour when he finally finished his gum-scraping penalty for being late. And he was in haste to grab his things and just go home already. Zayn almost dropped his phone when he entered the employee's room and found Harry ruffling through his own stuff.

"Harry?"

"Oh, hey!" Harry exclaims, looking apprehensive.

"What are you still doing here?" Zayn asks as he walks over to his locker to get his things, needing to distract himself before he ogles on Harry again. He has been seeing and talking to Harry for a week now, and he's still not used to his presence. Something about him still jostled and overwhelm Zayn which leaves him breathless and confused yet so, so, so soft and happy.

"I was waiting for you." He answers, rubbing the back of his neck. Zayn almost dropped his phone again for the second time in the span of five seconds. "Since you were late this morning and Paul made you scrape gums off after your shift again, he asked me to make sure that you won't leave till you've finished."

Zayn scowls "Are you serious? Does Paul think I'm some half-witted twat who constantly rebels against his wishes? Does he think I need babysitting?"

"Which one do you want me to answer first?" Harry asks "Doesn't matter." He waves off with a chuckle "The answer to all of your questions are the same anyway. Though I'm not going to tell you if it's a yes or a no. I'm going to let you ponder on that one."

"Don't bother, I can guess." Zayn rolls his eyes as he continues to gather his things.

There was another full minute of silence and awkward shuffling, and now there's a feeling in the air like one of them should say something.

"I'm sorry that Paul asked you to stay behind." He mumbles.

"It's all right. Don't have anything to do anyway." Harry shrugs "You good?"

"Yeah." He nods "You?"

Zayn almost wince at the tension between them.

His nerves seems like it's fucking everywhere. It's like it's jumping from one place to another. No matter how many times they've talked in the past couple days, they still can't shake the energy in the air like one of them should do or say something.

After the night at the pub, Zayn thought they would become one of those mates that wouldn't even feel the time flying by because they're in the presence of each other, but instead, Zayn is aware of everything that's going on with Harry. Everything.

"Yeah, I'm good." Harry answers, shutting his locker close. "Let's go."

"Oh, you mean you and me?" Zayn ask before he can process what he's saying.

Harry nods, clearly confused "Yes?"

Zayn shakes his head "You go ahead."

There was a moment of silence before Harry shakes his head "Well, Paul gave me the key so you have to go as well."

"Oh, right, right." He stammers "Of course."

"Unless you need to do something. I can wait for you."

"No, let's go." He says. He doesn't wait for Harry to respond, he quickly made his way out of the employee's room, hoping he can leave the awkwardness behind. He stops at the threshold of the theater when he realizes that he just left Harry inside without saying proper goodbye. He groans in mortification, and waits for that attractive bloke to get here, because it's just plain wrong to leave someone behind.

"Hey, you waited!" Harry exclaims in merit once he stepped outside.

Zayn shrugs "We better start walking before we missed the bus."

Harry smiles "It's all right, we can take my car."

Zayn's jaw drop "You have a car? Are you secretly rich or something."

"Don't get all impressed."

"How can I not?"

Despite the fact that cars in London are affordable, keeping one isn't, especially because of the limited parking space and the expensive parking slot.

"It's second hand." He shrugs.

"Still function as a car, mate."

"It's crap."

"It's convenient."

"It's ugly."

"It's useful."

"It's green."

"So what?"

"It's conspicuous."

"Conspicuous is good."

"Not always." He argues.

"Only for criminals." Zayn points out, then looks at Harry suspiciously, thinking if this endearing bloke is capable of committing a crime.

When Harry catches Zayn's apprehensive look, he shakes his head, as if he already knows what Zayn's thinking. "Don't even think about it."

"So, you're a criminal?"

"Absolutely not." He laughs.

"I was teasing, Harry." Zayn smiles softly. He feels a flutter in his heart and a deep tingle in his belly, and somehow it feels like a weight on his shoulder has been lifted just hearing Harry's laugh.

Harry smiles back, and it's stupid because now they're just looking at each other with big smiles on their faces, and no matter how hard Zayn tries not to smile it seems like he was incapable of it. There was a loud honking of a car that wheezes past them, snapping both off them out of their daze.

"Where do you live? I'll drop you off." Harry politely offers.

"Oh! Don't worry, I can take the bus." Zayn says, not wanting to be in Harry's presence any longer in fear that he might do something stupid or embarrassing.

Harry frowns. "Don't be daft, let me take you."

"I'm serious, I don't want to trouble you."

"You will trouble me more if you take the bus."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's cold, and I don't want you to freeze."

Zayn laughs "I have a coat, Harry."

"I have heating in my car. That would warm you up quicker. I could start the engine now, so you won't have to be in the cold any longer." He offers. "And I could give you my coat. Are you cold? Here." Harry wasted no time in shrugging off his coat and handing it to Zayn, who gapes.

"Jesus, Harry. Don't take off your coat. It's freezing." Zayn sputters. "And it's all right, walking warms me."

"But that would tire you! My car has seats where you can...sit."

Zayn laughs at that, his head thrown back and his eyes crinkling. "Well, how can I refuse to ride in a car with seats."

Harry grins "And heating." He made his way across the street to where his car is parked.

Zayn follows. His heart hiccups with the thought of being alone in an enclosed space with Harry. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, counting up to ten, to calm his fluttering heart.

Zayn knows that he needs to stop thinking of Harry inappropriately, but every time Harry talks to him, he can't help but forget every explanation Louis offered. Every time Zayn receives a texts from Harry, he can't help but doubt Louis. And every time Zayn catches Harry stealing a look at him, Zayn's heart can't help but spin drunkenly.

When Zayn spots the infamous green car of Harry's, Zayn whistled appreciatively, teasing Harry, who flips him off.

"Yeah, I know it's not much." He says, watching Zayn's reaction closely.

"Harry, don't be daft. It looks fine."

He rolls his eyes "It looks like a bean."

It's true, it awfully looks like it, but Zayn waves him off "Just because it's green-"

"Oh, don't bother. My mates already made a laugh of it."

Zayn smiles "It's cute."

When he and Harry finally entered the car, Zayn is finally aware of every detail and intake of breath he and Harry breathes.

"So, where do you live?" He asks, starting the engine.

"At Wellington." Zayn answers. Harry scrunches his eyebrows, clearly in thought. "That wouldn't be a detour, would it?" Zayn asks, worried that his drive home would trouble Harry.

"No, your house is actually near mine." He turns away from Zayn, shaking his head with a pensive look, as he starts to drive away from the lot.

Zayn's mouth drops open "Really? Where you staying?"

"Umm..Betterton."

"That's not near." Zayn's forehead creases.

Harry frowns. "It isn't?" He cocks his head "My street is only four blocks away from yours, isn't it?"

Zayn shrugs "It's hard to see it as that, since Endell road is pretty long."

"Thank God for a car right?"

"Speaking of which, what's the story behind this car?"

He slowly lifts his shoulder, which made him look and seem to embody every British stereotype. Unsurprisingly, it made him more attractive, though Zayn doesn't believe there was ever a time wherein Harry looks anything but. "It's my co-worker's from my previous work. I won it from a bet."

"He gave you his car because of a bet?" Zayn ask in an incredulous tone.

"A lot of people from work knows about our bet and what's at stake. So if I win and he still didn't give me the car, people would call him out behind his back."

Zayn nods "That makes sense. What did you bet?"

"Me." He says shyly.

"What?"

"If he wins I'd go on a date with him."

"He likes you?"

Harry cringes "His pursue and determination to get me to date him is so juvenile and exhausting. I've told him no loads of times, because I don't date co-workers."

Zayn's eyes widen, his heart suddenly in his throat "What? Why not? Why is that a rule? That's stupid. What's so wrong with dating a co-worker?" Zayn's face reddens when Harry looks at him quizzically.

"That got you curious, huh?" He grins.

Zayn shrugs "You can't control who you like or fall in love with, and you could've fallen for anyone at work."

"That is true." He says, turning away from the road to look at Zayn. Something about his look made Zayn shiver. "But, I already found my soulmate, so.." He purses his lips together, quickly turning away.

Zayn's eyebrows pinch together, turning to Harry with a look of pure curiously "When you find your soulmate, does that mean you won't find anyone else attractive?"

Harry shakes his head, snorting. " I don't think so. I found mine, but I still find someone attractive."

At that, Zayn's head snapped back. "Who?" He asks. It feels like his heart is in his ears as he waits for Harry's answers. Please tell me you're not besotted with anyone .

"Oh, umm." He blushes, looking at Zayn for a moment, before turning away. "Just some random bloke." He clears his throat.

"Oh, so it's not like you've instantly like them. You mean you just found them attractive, but not the kind of attractive that you would want to marry them?"

Harry looks at him strangely. "Yes?"

"Oh...okay." There was a silent between them now as they drive along Long Acre street. Zayn's street nearing awfully quick.

"Do you want me to tell you what the bet is about?" Harry asks looking at Zayn for a while before turning back to the road.

He nods "Yes."

Harry smiles "I'll tell you all about that the next time you let me take you home."

And then, they're in front of Zayn's house.

***

Zayn hasn't set his phone down for three days, it seems. Every time he loses his grip on the mobile, another message from Harry pops up, and Zayn's heart would always burst from happiness and it would make him dizzy from Harry's undivided attention, which would make Zayn jump in excitement and smile for a minute too long.

His obsessive behavior didn't come unnoticed by Louis, unfortunately, which prompts the older lad to bring Zayn to Light.Co, but Zayn doesn't want to go to a pub again, he would much rather be at home texting and swapping stories with Harry, which would make him stay up all night like a teenager and laugh like he's high.

And try as he might, Zayn physically cannot stop texting Harry. Every time he tries to leave a message unanswered it feels like a crack in his heart is expanding with every minute he's not talking to the curly lad.

It has been a long time since he felt so fragile to someone else and it is simply unnerving.

Zayn was still on his phone regardless of being at a pub. Louis left him to dance with a group of people, and normally Zayn would be joining him right now, but instead of doing so, he's on a chair, pathetically waiting for Harry to reply

His eyebrows furrow when it has been five minutes and Harry still hasn't reply to his message. Has he fallen asleep? Or has he finally become bored of Zayn?

He sighs and decided to call it a night. This kind of behavior is neither healthy nor doing him any good. So before he knows it, he was on his way out of the pub, texting Louis that he'll see him in their flat with the excuse that he forgot to turn off their stove, when a bloke suddenly bumped onto him, spilling his beer on Zayn's shirt.

"Oh, sorry. My fault- Zayn!" He looks up in surprise to see Harry gawking at him. Of fucking course! Of course, Harry would be where Zayn would least expects him to be. Where Zayn would look gross and looks like he had just been trampled by ten horses and got struck by lightning.

"What are you doing here?" Harry grins.

"I was just about to leave." Zayn says truthfully.

Harry frowns. "Don't leave yet. I just got here."

Zayn should say no, because he doesn't want his feelings for Harry to developed into something important. So, it's obvious that Zayn should say no-

" Okay." He says instead, and he knows he's fucked because there is probably no world in the universe that he could physically say no to Harry Styles.

"Great! I'll buy you a drink."

Zayn gave him a slow, soft smile as he deliberately follow Harry to the counter. His heart thumping with each steps he takes.

***

"You never continued your story about the car and the bet." Zayn says taking a small sip from his drink.

He's not yet prepared for Harry to meet the intoxicated version of Zayn. He does not want Harry to find out how lightweight he is and how horny he gets when he's piss drunk.

He grins "I told you that I would only tell you about it if I take you home."

"Well, tell me about your old job then. What made you decide to leave it and work at the dump theater we work in?"

Harry looks at Zayn shyly, taking a large gulp from his tonic, his face reddening "I...worked at the film industry." He says.

Zayn sputters "You're an actor?"

Harry smiles meekly "No. God I wish that was my profession because that's cooler and way more impressive."

"Well, what do you do then?"

"I actually want to be a Production Sound Mixer." He says hesitantly, and Zayn realizes how uncomfortable Harry is talking about this which perplexes and further intrigues him.

"Harry, you don't have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable." Zayn smiles at him reassuringly, wanting Harry to be at ease.

He snorts, shaking his head. "I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just..." He shakes his head. "Anyway, what you do as a production mixer is to capture all the dialogues and provide a rough mix for the picture edit."

Zayn smiles "That sounds cool."

"Yeah, but I left before I became one." He shrugs, taking another swing from his drink. "Instead, I was put into the Craft Service team."

"Sounds serious." Zayn comments, his attention fixated on Harry.

He chuckles nervously "Eh, not really. I was one of the blokes who provided the food and the beverages on set." He blushes, looking embarrassed.

"That's all right, sometimes you applied for a job you want, but you're taken into another, and it happens. The plans we make won't always go accordingly, and you'll never know that being in the Craft Service team opened doors for you that you once prayed for."

Harry looks stunned at Zayn's words "Thank you. Thanks for putting some sense into that." Harry tells Zayn earnestly, his eyes softening.

Zayn blushes, and from the corner of his eyes he saw Harry's wrist glow ostentatiously. And he's suddenly reminded that this gorgeous bloke has a soulmate, and it's unfair because the hurt of Zayn not being Harry's soulmate still aches everyday. From the moment he wakes until he falls asleep at night, there's a burn in his chest that could only be soothed by Harry's proximity.

He shakes his head, not wanting Harry to see the look on his face "So, how did you ended up working at the theater?" He ask, wanting to change the topic. He fiddles with his glass, wanting to distract himself from Harry's intensifying gaze.

"Afraid that I can't tell you that. That story also revolves around the car and the bet, so you're going to have to wait for that story to continue." He says, his eyes still unwavering from Zayn's face.

"Oh, now you're just purposely making me curious about the origin of your car." He grins playfully, wanting to look nonchalant under Harry's engrossed gaze "Look at that." Zayn stupidly says, pointing at the couple making out a few feet away from them. There's nothing impressive and new at the scenery, he just needs Harry to stop looking at him like that.

And it works. Harry looks behind him as Zayn gulps down his entire glass, ignoring that fact that he's a lightweight and will be soon horny if he gets another drink.

When Harry glanced back at Zayn, he smiles "Oh, I forgot to ask what you're doing here. I've never seen you around."

"Why? Do you always go here?" Zayn's face scrunches.

He shrugs "This is where I met my soulmate. And ever since that night I always go back here just in case he comes back."

Zayn tries his best not to frown and grimace in jealousy. Lucky bloke. He thinks as he pictures how Harry's soulmate might look like. He hopes that the lad is ugly and obnoxious-

He shakes the awful thoughts away, guilty that he's thinking about Harry's match like that, but he honestly cannot help it.

"That's so romantic." Zayn grimaces under his smile, wishing his tone didn't sound as fake as his words.

He chuckles "I actually daydreamed of how I want to bump into him again. Is that weird?"

Zayn shakes his head in reply, looking at the chair behind Harry, torn between wanting to hear Harry's voice and not wanting to hear what comes out of his mouth.

"I thought of a scene where I'll accidentally bump into him and have my drink spilled onto his shoes like in the countless romantic movies. And then I'll apologized to him and invite him for a drink then when we finally stared into each others eyes, our heart tattoo will glow again ." He says staring down at his glowing tattoo. Zayn gulps and it feels like the temperature suddenly drops.

Harry looks away from his heart tattoo, its glow keeps flickering. He raises his head to glance at Zayn from under his eyelashes "But it's frustrating because my tattoo keeps glowing nowadays."

Zayn was frightened and overwhelmed with the way Harry's looking at him and how the distance between them narrows with each word Harry says. Zayn looks away, not knowing how to handle Harry's attention.

When he looks back, he saw Harry looking at him from head to toe. His breath was caught in between his throat as he realizes that Harry's checking him out.

"Is it just me or is it getting warmer here?" Zayn comments, distracting him and Harry from the foreboding atmosphere."Must be the shirt, huh?" He says, pulling his button up shirt away from his skin.

Harry takes a sip from his glass as he looks down at Zayn's shirt. "It's a nice shirt." He comments, biting his lips.

"It's my pulling shirt." He winks at Harry "It never fails me."

"What's a pulling shirt?"

Zayn cocks his head to the side, not believing that Harry hasn't heard of a pulling shirt, but then again, he doesn't think that Harry would need one, since Harry could get all the men and women in this pub to sleep with him with just one look.

"It's an outfit that helps you look more sexy and desirable to people." Zayn chuckles at that "I wear it when I go to a pub with the intention of wanting to have a...you know." He says with a knowing look.

"Oh." Harry smack his lips together.

"What?"

"I didn't know you do.." Harry trails off, gesturing with his hands "Hook ups."

Zayn gave him a puzzled look "Speak for yourself." He snorts "We met because you went home with Louis, remember?"

He blushes "Oh, right!" He rub his neck awkwardly "We didn't do much, really. The intention was there, truly, but when we got to the flat, I was suddenly not in the mood so..." He shrugs. "He just let me sleep over."

Zayn's mouth drops open "Wait, wait, wait." He says completely flabbergast and amused "Are you saying that you and Louis didn't do anything that night?" His smile was so wide as he reminisce the things Louis said he and Harry did that night. When Harry shakes his head, Zayn howls in laughter "That poor sod! Louis said he made you come like three times. I knew he was sleeping instead of doing it. That little shit." Zayn chuckles in amusement, already thinking of a million ways of how to embarrass that twat.

Harry smiles softly, amused with the way Zayn finds Louis' secret entertaining. "Do you want another drink?" Harry offers when he realizes that Zayn already finished a glass.

Zayn should say no, but Harry's looking at him like that again, with his green endearing eyes and his beautiful baby pink lips that has turned into a pout, well, how can Zayn turn the offer down?

"Sure." He smiles.

"I'll order one for you. It's my favorite drink here, and not a lot of people knows about this drink since it's in their secret menu." He winks at Zayn as he calls for the barman.

He tilts his head to the side, looking at Harry with a fond smile "And here I thought you were an innocent little shit who doesn't go to bars."

Harry laughs "I don't actually, but I want to find my soulmate, remember?" He hands Zayn a bubble pink drink that fizzles on the top. "Here, try it, I swear to you that there's no drink like this anywhere."

Zayn puts his lips against the glass hesitantly, and when Harry urges him to take a sip, Zayn did just that. "Oh." He moans "It taste like cotton candy with vodka."

Harry laughs "You moaned!"

"What? You mean like this?" Zayn moans again against the glass.

Harry stops laughing "That was a proper filthy moan." He glanced at Zayn over his drink, suddenly serious and cautious.

Zayn smiles at him confidently. "I'm very vocal." He says, and he's probably getting a bit tipsy since that would be the only explanation on why he said that.

Harry gapes at him, his eyes darkening 

"What's your type?" Harry asks, glancing away from his drink.

"In a hook up or in a relationship?"

Harry made a noise between a moan and a cough. And fuck that just turn on Zayn. "Well, for a hook up, the physical attraction must be there. I've always wanted someone who's tall, sexy, and has a nice bum." He winks.

Harry coughs into his hand as he shifts in his seat. "Yes, because the bum..I mean with a bum.. I mean having a bum is important..to fuck." He croaks. "Like when you need to fuck..cos' when you do it, a bum needs to be..there...for you to enter."

"You're sounding very eloquent." Zayn teases him with a chuckle.

Harry shrugs "I would've never guess actually."

"Hmm?" Zayn hums as he looks over the thickening crowd, most of them underage, no doubt.

"I mean you look like you would bottom."

If Zayn was drinking, he'd probably chocked on it, because Harry just revealed that he thinks of Zayn to the extent that he wonders if Zayn's a bottom or not. His shy expression diminishes when he saw Harry's playful smile. And he knows Harry was just kidding. "Do I look like I could bottom? Look at my bum, mate." He stands up and turns around, showing Harry his flat behind. "If I let my hook up be the top, they wouldn't know where to enter, because they'll think my bum is just an extension of my back." He jokes, wanting to make Harry laugh, but when he turns back, Harry's eyes were full blown dark green. His gaze focusing on Zayn's display.

"Yeah." Harry says absently, his voice cracked a little. "Can you sit down, okay?"

Zayn gingerly sat on the stool "Yeah. Are you all right, Harry?"

He nodded slowly. "Lovely." His eyes snapped to Zayn "If you'll excuse me for a minute. I need to go to the loo."

Zayn nods, and when Harry disappeared among the crowd, he palms his face frustratingly, thinking of how stupid and awkward it is. Fuck, Harry must think of him as an odd twat.

When Harry got back, Zayn notices the tiny beads of water on his hair and forehead, indicating that Harry washed his face. God, is Zayn that boring that Harry needs to splash himself some water to keep himself awake?

"Hey," Harry smiles when he finally settles in front of Zayn, but he doesn't sit down and there's a girl behind Harry that's trying to lodge herself in front of the counter, which forces Harry to stumble forward and stand in between Zayn's legs.

Zayn didn't shove him off and Harry didn't shift away as well. They just stayed there in that position, their gazes softening as their cheeks reddens with each seconds pass.

"Getting a bit crowded, huh?" Harry mumbles quietly, and it strucks Zayn with how close their faces and bodies are. So close that when Harry speaks, Zayn can feel the heat of his mouth against his lips.

"Mhmm." Zayn hums.

His eyes are boring into Harry's and everything unsaid is floating around them. Harry's frozen in their gaze. They didn't need words they just look at each other and smiled.

Zayn didn't know what it was, it was probably Harry's inhumanly green eyes or his bubble gum lip smile, but the next thing he knew he was pressing his lips against Harry's.

Their lips brushed against each other, and in an instant Zayn knew in his bones, that his heart had known Harry's soul lifetimes ago.

The kiss lasted long. Too long. Wonderfully long. His mind screamed at him, that this is wrong, Harry has a soulmate. But it felt like a part of him wanted this for decades - like Zayn's mind and heart knew about Harry's existence for a thousand years.

The kiss was fire and smoke and electricity and Zayn felt like it was a disaster. Zayn forgot how to breathe. It was like he can do anything and everything with just one ki-

Then Harry shoves him off.

***

Zayn's an idiot

He must be the biggest daft in the whole nation--uni diploma be damned, but he's truly a nonsensical twat.

How can Zayn kiss someone who has a soulmate? What was he thinking?

Ever since that night, Zayn's been worried about Harry and the utter betrayal Harry must be feeling right now. After that mistake, Zayn just wants to disappear and return five years later under a different name and probably with an amnesia.

Granted that it has only been a day since Zayn practically threw himself on Harry, but he honestly can't help feeling like crap. What if Harry never talks to him again? What if Harry never looks at him the same way again? What if Harry feels so disgusted with the kiss that he can't even think of Zayn without punching a wall?

He hasn't seen Harry the whole day which means he didn't come to work today. What if Zayn's mistake had made Harry feel so uncomfortable to the extent that he might quit working at the theater? Zayn bites his lips and starts fiddling with his hair. He was shocked and terrified with how he behaves at the thought of Harry leaving. He feels emotional and incredulous with the way his heart beats fast at the idea of Harry ignoring him. How can a simple bloke that he only met a few weeks ago have this much impact on him? Why does he care so damn much that a person might never talk to him again?

Why?

But Zayn knows. He just doesn't want to admit it. But now that Zayn has met Harry there's a deep insatiable yearning in his heart and fucking mind, the desire to know him in every way and be known deeply in return. They were on the right track, what with the way Zayn shows him his scarred tattoo and lets his most personal secret stumble out of his mouth and into Harry's ears. It felt both strange and right to share that story to someone he only met. For the first time in his life, Zayn feels okay being vulnerable to a stranger and he's not ready to let go yet.

"Okay, Zayn, you got my attention." Mira abruptly says, walking towards the concession stand where Zayn is staring at the open. "You look like you just witnessed a murder spree with your messy hair and bitten nails and bleeding lips. Jesus Christ Zayn, what happened?"

"What?" Zayn asks, turning to her with a blank look "Oh, you're here. Is something the matter?"

There was a long pause before Mira shakes her head "Wow," She expresses in amazement "You're clearly out of it. Are you high?"

"'Course not." He says. "Why?"

"Because you're worrying me! You keep dozing off. You're acting like you're forced to watch Fifty Shades with your parents."

Zayn rolls his eyes "I just didn't get enough sleep last night. By the way, where's Harry?"

"Harry's shift doesn't start till 4 remember? He volunteered the night shift for tonight so he's not here yet." She says expectantly as if Zayn should know this.

"Oh, right, right. I know that."

"Ah, yeah, sure you do, love."

"I'm serious." He sighs "I just need some sleep."

"More like you just need to see Harry ." She murmurs under her breath, but Zayn hears loud and clear.

"What? what did you just say?"

"I mean it's pretty obvious you like him." She shrugs.

Zayn stares at her in horror "Are you serious? It's not April 1 yet Mira, stop joking around. Am I that obvious?"

She chuckles "Don't worry, Zayn, I don't think he has noticed yet. Just try not to look at him as if you're a broke uni student and Harry's the sugar daddy you've been waiting for since Freshman year."

Zayn gave her an exasperated look "Don't be silly, Mira. I looked at him the same way I looked at everyone else."

She laughs "Does that mean you want to mount everyone you passed by because frankly that's disgusting. You might catch something, man." She says "Like gonorrhea."

"Why are you talking to me instead of snogging Mitch back in Paul's office again?"

"First of all that was one time! And I told you, you looked like one of those men whose happiness revolves around dirty magazines and pornhub then you find out that the nearest magazine store in your block has been demolished and then the internet suddenly banned porn sites."

"It's scary how your comparisons are oddly specific and detailed."

"It's scary that I still think Harry might be my soulmate because he's just that damn attractive. I mean, imagine if we have children!" She sighs "It's crazy that I still wonder why Harry doesn't like me back."

"Yeah, you and me both." Zayn mutters.

***

That night, Zayn waited by the front of the cinema, cigarettes in between his fingers and his back against the wall of the theater. His shift ended hours ago so it's crazy that he's still at Finsbury Sqaure waiting for Harry to finished up in this unforgiving cold night.

But wanting to apologize to Harry takes precedence because he just can't settle the unease feeling of knowing he have wronged and offended someone. Especially if that someone is Harry. Hence, he's here, ready to apologize and ask him for forgiveness.

He knows that Harry's in charge of closing the theater and that he's the only one left at the cinema which gave Zayn the opportunity to apologize privately.

So when the lights inside has been turned off and a curly haired man stepped outside wearing a beanie and a long coat, Zayn drops his cigarette and stomps on it till the smoke went out.

"Harry." Zayn quietly calls out "Hey."

When Harry saw him, he suddenly looks like he wants to ran away from Zayn and never look back.

Zayn bites his lips "Do you have a minute?"

Harry looks at Zayn with a horrified look "I..I actually have a thing-"

"Look, Harry, just hear me out. I promise I won't kiss you ever again."

Harry's mouth clamp shut at Zayn's promise, his eyes intent on Zayn's lips. His breathing changes all of a sudden. Harry remained perfectly still, face tense, chest heavy and arms limp on his sides.

"I'm sorry. I know what I did was wrong. I can't say that I kissed you because I was under the influence of alcohol since being drunk is never an excuse to kiss someone." He glanced away, not wanting to see Harry's reaction "I know that you've been looking for your soulmate and I know that you're intent on finding Him. So, I know that I shouldn't have done it. If I could just turn back time, I would probably punch myself in the face." He chuckles glumly

Harry kept quiet, not saying anything.

"So, yeah, I shouldn't have kissed you."

In his peripherals, Harry stiffened.

He swallows.

"I just..I'll never do that again."

He still can't look at Harry, but he hears his heavy breathing, hears the harsh breaths and can see the shaking of his hands.

"I hope we can move past this and I wish for you to forgive me."

Harry didn't say anything.

When Zayn finally looks up, Harry's eyes are still locked on Zayn's mouth,

"Forgive me?" Zayn finally says after a stretch of silence.

Harry grimaces, but remains silent, eyes finally flicking away from his lips and up to Zayn's eyes after several seconds of staring at it.

"I'm sorry for walking out on you." He finally says.

Zayn shakes his head " No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, truly."

Harry bites his lips.

"You have a soulmate and I respect that. I didn't know what came over me, I just...I lost myself for a moment." He breathes heavily.

Harry nods stoically.

Zayn chuckles sadly "I'll never do that again. I'll never make you feel that way again. I'll never kiss you again-"

Then all of a sudden, Zayn gasp in surprised when Harry cups his face and presses his lips onto his.

The kiss is rough and aggressive. It shocks Zayn with how harsh Harry's kiss is as if he's been hungry for Zayn ever since that night. He kisses as if his life depends on it. Their teeth were clashing, their tongues were slipping outside of their mouths, their hands were firmly set in each other's faces as if they're afraid that one of them might disappear in any second.

"Stop saying...you'll-...never kiss...me again." Harry says in between breaths as he kisses Zayn more forcefully.

Zayn swears he can feel his pulse at his words. He slots his lips against Harry's again and the fire crackles under his skin. Zayn knows that this is the feeling he has been longing for ever since that night. If he could only feel one thing for the rest of his life, this would be it.

He pulls Harry's hair, which earns a moan from him. The sound makes him moan in response, it was the hottest sound Zayn has ever heard and he wants to hear it again. Zayn only wants to focus on Harry's body pressed against his. He wants to remember how Harry pins Zayn against the wall of the cinema and the way his mouth taste like mint.

Then all of a sudden Harry pulls away.

"Crap...Crap! Not again! I'm so sorry." Harry gasps then much to Zayn's disbelief he turns around and walks back to his car in a quick manner as if Zayn's a dangerous criminal and he's about to bash Harry's head down the pavement.

"Oi! Harry, what the hell!" Zayn runs in front of Harry and blocks his way before he could get inside his car. "What's wrong with you? You can't just kiss me and ran away! I thought you didn't like it when I kissed you the first time. You made me think I was the most selfish and cruel man in the whole world. And then you kissed me and now I'm so confused. Why did you do it? I thought you said-"

Zayn's next words were muffled when Harry grabs his face and kisses him again.

The kiss startles Zayn so much that he made a sound that's somewhere between a gasp and a moan as their mouths collides aggressively again. Zayn's moan made Harry nudges Zayn's hips hard and the force of it knocks their mouths apart for a moment, before Harry is attaching his lips onto Zayn's again.

The way Harry presses his lips against Zayn was so sudden and powerful that it made Zayn's head tilt back because now they're both back into kissing each other so desperately as if this would be their last kiss on Earth.

Then Harry shoves Zayn away and looks at him with wide eyes as if he just did something morally wrong.

"Fuck, I did it again. Fuck." Harry curses, moving past Zayn with his hands running up his hair and making his way to his car. Zayn runs up to him and closes the car door before Hary can enter it.

"What is wrong with you?" Zayn demanded. "You kissed me! And now you're just going to drive away without any explanation?"

Harry's mouth opens then closes in response. He's clearly lost for words. There was a pregnant pause until Harry shakes his head and says "I'm sorry. It's just that... I don't want to be involved with someone as I look for Him, it doesn't seem right."

Zayn bites his lips contemplating if he should say his thoughts out loud, and when Harry glances at Zayn's mouth again, he finally found a will power to say it. "Yes, we can. We actually don't have to be...exclusive."

Harry giveshim a confounded look "What?"

"You said you don't want to be with someone since you're looking for your soulmate, how about we just continue what we're doing. I mean it's clear that we find each other attractive."

"So, what do you propose?"

"Let's continue being friends."

"That shares kisses?"

Zayn doesn't know if he should answer him truthfully since he was uncertain if it would put off Harry.

"Is that what you want?" Zayn asks, clearly beating around the bush.

"Is that what you want?" Harry shots back, giving a large emphasis on the you part.

Zayn's heart is in his throat from Harry's question. He was evidently sweating and Harry was biting his lips. Both boys were holding their breath as they wait for each other's answers as if having different answers will be the end of them.

There was a long pause and they could distinctly hear the music from the nearby pubs and the ruffling of leaves and trees that surrounds him. Zayn doesn't think he can hold it back much longer, the stretch of their silence from the lingering question between them was unnerving, until finally...

"Yes." They both say in unison.

After hearing Harry's answer, Zayn suddenly have an extraordinary energy about him that consumes and calm him all at once.

"Really?" Zayn's jaw drops in shock and amazement at the thought that someone such as Harry would even want him.

It seems that Harry was stupefy by Zayn's answer as well, because he stood there in silence with wonder and amazement written all over his face.

After a long pause, Harry finally clears his throat "All right, if we're going to do this, just so we are clear, I want you to remember that I have a soulmate, all right?" Harry says clearly worried.

"What, you think I'm going to fall in love with you?" Zayn laughs nervously.

Harry shrugs "Well you kissed me last night so..."

Zayn sputters "Excuse me? you're the one who kissed me literally five seconds ago!" 

Harry raises his hands up in defense "Hey, I'm just giving you a heads up, so no dirty business, Malik."

He rolls his eyes "Harry, what we just talked about literally means we're going dirty."

"No, I meant feelings." He says "And we keep this thing between us, because when I meet Him I don't want Him to think that I'm the type who can't keep it in his pants."

Zayn sighs "Fine, no strings attached." He lifts his hands for Harry to shake as a way to seal the deal.

Harry looks at Zayn's hand reluctantly before shaking it. "No strings attached."

When Zayn was about to pull away and step back, Harry grips his hands tighter before Zayn can do such thing.

"Wait." Harry says, holding Zayn in his place.

Zayn looks up at him, and then wishes that he hadn't because fuck Harry is so beautiful. His eyes are so bright. So glassy and glittery, Zayn physically can't look away. Can't even feel his own hands or his heartbeat or the cold breeze hitting his skin.

"W-what?" Zayn stutters, his heart fluttering fiercely within his chest like a hummingbird, because Harry's hand is so warm, and his hands fits perfectly inside his' like it was a missing puzzle piece.

"Can you kiss me now?" Harry asks and he looks so damn nervous that Zayn feels so fucking warm inside.

Zayn didn't even hesitate in kissing him. His whole body felt as if it were on fire; Harry's fingertips burned holes into his hips over his shirt, while his tongue explored Zayn's mouth. And it was exquisite.

Harry's lips is the best thing he's ever felt. The kiss was soft and gentle unlike the other one they had before, and Zayn decides that he likes this kind of kiss rather than the aggressive one because he can feel Harry's mouth, he can feel the humming of Harry's pulse, the warmth of his hands that was on Zayn's hips, and the curls of his hair that's tickling his cheeks.

Zayn can feel himself smiling at the kiss, because it was slow and lazy yet sensual and passionate. He loves this kiss. This is his favorite kiss yet. Neither of them were rushing, and they kiss like they had all the time in the world.

Zayn lets out a whimper when Harry abruptly pulled away. Zayn glanced at him with a dazed look when he sees Harry with his eyebrows pinched together and his lips turned into a frown.

"What?" Zayn asks, half scared that Harry may not like this kiss and tell Zayn to never kiss him again.

Harry didn't say anything, instead he takes his beanie off then puts it on Zayn's head, adjusting the sides of the material so it won't fold backwards. "You're cold." Harry fusses "Your lips was cold and I can feel you shivering." He says as he takes off his scarf and wraps it around Zayn's neck.

Before Zayn can say anything, Harry grabs his hand and blew a raspberry kiss on it, in an attempt to warm his fingers, then he proceed to massage Zayn's palms before blowing warm air on his hands.

Zayn was too stunned to reply or take his hands away from Harry's grasp. He didn't even know he was shivering until he stopped, thanks to Harry's beanie, scarf, and attempt to warm Zayn's hands with blows and kisses.

"There you go." Harry finally says as he looks at Zayn from under his lashes, and Zayn almost passed out with the way his heart, his fucking mind and legs falter from Harry's attention.

"Thank you." Zayn says and he sounds out of breath like he had been knocked over a few times by a hard punch in the stomach.

"No worries," Harry smiles as he rubs Zayn's forearm to create some friction. "Are you still cold?"

He shrugs "I dunno. I can't feel anything."

Harry rolls his eyes fondly before he grabs Zayn by the neck and attach their lips together. It took Zayn by surprise, but when he's about to open his mouth to lick Harry's lips, he suddenly pulls away.

"Yeah, you're still cold." He sighs.

Zayn raises his eyebrows "You kissed me just so you can tell if I was feeling cold?"

"Yeah, how else will I know if you're still cold?"

"Um, I don't know, perhaps feel my neck?"

"Okie." Harry says cheekily before leaning down and biting Zayn's neck.

He lets out a loud moan when Harry's lips made contact on his bare skin. The shock of it made Zayn topple backwards.

Harry laughs at Zayn's reaction "Too soon?"

Zayn bites his lips when Harry leans his head closer to Zayn's. There's a sudden humming in his ears, and it's the sound of his heart beating in triple measure.

He shakes his head as he encircled his arms around Harry's waist to bring him closer and he sighs in happiness when Harry's hands found his cheeks.

"Just kiss me." He whispers and Harry did just that. With Harry's hand on Zayn's face, and Zayn's hands on Harry's waist, nothing and no one could make him think that kissing Harry is anything but right.

And in that moment, he just wishes he was Harry's soulmate instead.

***

"Harry, move." Zayn groans.

"I can't." He bites his lips.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I'm not yet ready."

"Just trust me"

"Honestly, Zayn, I don't think I can do it."

"This isn't it you first time is it?" Zayn raises his eyebrows, obviously worried.

Harry guffaws at the question "Of course not!"

"Then move."

"I can't do it with you looking."

"Are you saying that I need to close my eyes?"

"Yes, unless you want me to stay like this forever."

"Fuck, fine." Zayn groans and then closes his eyes. After a few seconds, Zayn sighs "You haven't move, have you?"

"I was about to!" Harry grumbles "I'll enter from behind."

"As you should."

There was a pause until he felt Harry shift "I'm already inside."

"Finally." He groans "How are you doing?"

"I dunno. It's too soon to tell."

Zayn scoffs before opening his eyes and looking down.

"You haven't move an inch!" He exclaims in bewilderment.

"I have!"

"Harry, you haven't build a barricade yet! You're so screwed." Zayn palms his head in frustration. Watching the infuriating, gorgeous bloke play Minecraft was honestly distressing. "Oh, God, your character is going to die."

"Actually, I'm using your account so your character is going to die."

Zayn glares at him before taking the mobile from Harry's hands and plays it on his own.

Harry grumbles when the mobile was taken away.

"Zayn." He says and when he didn't acknowledge him. Harry crosses his arms petulantly.

"Zayn." He calls out again, poking Zayn in the cheeks, then in the nose, neck, arm, shoulders and sides, but to his bewilderment Zayn didn't even moved a muscle, too engrossed in building a new fence.

It was a relief that they didn't have much customers as of today, but that was only expected. Monday is the the day they have the lowest sales. Hence, most employees were dozing off or chatting to the person they're with. And for Zayn, that was Harry, they're the only ones working at the concession stand. And it was more than all right for the them.

Zayn has been on a cloud nine for the past two days, having to kiss Harry freely without doubts and fear was remarkable. Harry was terrific and sweet to the point that it makes Zayn glow with happiness and light, and it's scary how obvious it is with Louis pointing it out with how much Zayn smiles and laughs these days, which was worrying because Louis now thinks that Zayn is constantly on drugs and probably high in debt.

Although, they haven't done anything other than kiss and snog, it's still the most intimate relationship Zayn has ever been in, which is saying a lot given that he had once attended an orgy back in the sophomore year in uni. He had no idea how staggering it is to touch someone, and despite the fact that they could have done more than share some innocent kisses, Louis will suddenly barge inside Zayn's room looking for his dildo which would make Harry topple backwards and fall off the bed or Harry will grab him from his jeans and ask if he could suck him, and Zayn will embarrassingly come like he has never been in an orgy before.

And regardless of being all over each other almost every day, they haven't reveal to anyone the status of their relationship, though they could barely call it friends with benefits kind of thing because they genuinely haven't done anything other than stare and giggle at each other while sneaking a kiss at each other's noses and cheeks, but one of them will always forget that it's supposed to be a secret and will accidentally swoops in for a kiss until they'll get hit with the sense that they're in public.

"When will you lose?" Harry asks, clearly bored and missing Zayn's doting and attention on him.

Zayn doesn't even notice when Harry leaned his head on his shoulders as he idly watches Zayn play, because he's so used to Harry on his side that whenever he isn't, it puts off Zayn. He rubs Harry's thigh to appraise him as his eyes focus on the screen, it was only when Harry starts nipping on his neck that Zayn gasp and had the mobile slip from his hands.

Harry lets out a deep chuckle "It's so hot how you're still so nervous." He whispers huskily into Zayn's ear.

Zayn swallows as Harry's hand lowered from his back to his bum.

"Excuse me." A voice calls out. They both tumbled away from each other as if they were caught doing something illegal.

"Yes?" Zayn clears his throat, looking at a young girl who's clearly about to order something.

"Can I get a popcorn and a licorice?" She says giving them a strange look as she orders, obviously still thinking of their display.

When they finished serving the young girl, Harry sighs before glancing at Zayn with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget. Maybe we should stop-"

"No!" Zayn exclaims as a bubble of panic and fear cloud his heart and mind at the thought of them stopping. "I mean, we're both new at this, and it's all right, it would be hypocritical of me if I get mad at you for that."

Harry gives him an uncertain glance before nodding at him, but Zayn can tell that he was relief by Zayn's answer.

For the rest of the day they stopped touching each other.

***

"So, what's going on with you and Harry?" Mira asks before Zayn could brace himself.

"W-what?" He replies, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Well, it's obvious." She shrugs "If the way you stare at each other doesn't give it away, probably the nipping at each other's neck and ears will."

Zayn was too shocked to answer.

"Are you dating Harry?"

"Shhh!" He hushed her before looking around to see if anyone has heard. Thankfully, Harry was at the toilets helping Mitch stack the room with tissue rolls and liquid soap. "Can you keep it down?"

She smirks "So you are together." She says, clearly pleased with herself.

"No, we're not." Zayn rolls his eyes.

She shots him a confused look.

"It's complicated."

"How? What do you mean?"

Zayn sighs, running his hand up through his hair. "It's a strictly benefited friendship."

Mira looks at him for a while before letting out a fit of giggle. "Are you serious?"

Zayn shrugs. "Harry found his soulmate at the same time he lost him, and he doesn't want to get into anything serious while he's looking for his other half." There was a distinct bitterness in his tone that it shocks Zayn himself.

"Why?"

"Because he feels guilty as it is. And he doesn't want anything serious now that he thinks he's so close to finding his match." He can clearly hear the harshness and the obvious edge in his tone as he said that, but Zayn was too hurt to care.

Mira gives him an unimpressed look "But you like him?"

"I do." He lets out a breath, he never says it out loud so hearing himself say it was a surprised.

"And he likes you back?'

"Physically." Zayn answers with a frown.

Mira shots him a look "Don't be a daft."

"I'm serious."

"Well, I'm serious too. It's clear that his feelings for you has something more to do than just you being attractive."

"Feelings?" He chokes.

"You know what I mean." She huffs "And aren't you worried that one of you might actually fall in love."

Zayn shakes his head "We aren't even serious about each other."

She raises her eyebrows.

"We haven't done anything. We just kiss and snog. And every time we take it further, one of us will get too flustered and nervous so we'll just end up eating ice cream while watching the re-runs of Game of Thrones."

She laughs "You guys are so dating."

He rolls his eyes "No, we're not. It's normal."

"It's normal to cuddle your fuck buddy?" She raises her eyebrows, smirking "Because if it is, then I don't remember the time we cuddled before, Zayn."

Zayn pauses before staring at her then lets out a laugh "You and me, that's an ancient news."

She grins as she reaches out to him to rub his hands "Just so you know, I've improved."

He stops laughing when he catches the familiar look she's giving him. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Oh, please, what's the worse thing that could happen? It's not like you and Harry are exclusive."

His eyes widen when she caress his neck and brought their faces closer.

"No way. Not a chance. Never in a million years."

She laughs at his reaction "Darling, you should've seen your face. God, Zayn, I was only kidding, you could stop looking like a boyfriend who's being forced to cheat."

"I don't look like that." He scowls.

"Uh-huh." She says "Then why does Harry look like he just caught his boyfriend cheating?"

"W-what?" Zayn follows Mira's gaze only to find Harry staring at them.

Oh.

***

Zayn can tell that Harry was still bothered by what he had witnessed yesterday afternoon at the theater with Mira. He didn't asked Zayn what it was about, on why Mira was caressing Zayn's neck and why their faces were less than a foot away from each other. And Zayn didn't bothered to clear things up, because he honestly doesn't know what to tell Harry.

But he can feel Harry's aloofness and standoffish behavior as he 'teaches' Zayn how to cook his Bourbon Pecan Chicken just like he said he will a few days ago, but Harry hasn't said a word other than to ask where the cutlery is, and he isn't even instructing Zayn or explaining things to him properly.

"Are you even doing it right?" Zayn ask with a hint of playfulness in his tone, because he just wants to break the silence and the obvious tension between them since today should be a good day for them, and Zayn hasn't kissed Harry ever since the little girl at the theater caught them, and it's making him crazy.

"Of course I'm doing it right." He growls as he cuts the chicken harder.

Zayn swallows "Well, I don't know much about cooking, but I don't think you should be stabbing the chicken."

Harry gave him a sharp look "Funny how you seem to know a lot about stabbing, perhaps you've stabbed someone in the back before."

"I-what?"

Harry rolls his eyes "Metaphorically, Zayn."

He blinks "Yeah, I know that. " He then clears his throat as Harry starts coating the chicken with flour.

"Here, continue what I'm doing." He instructs, leaning back as he watches Zayn coats his fingers with flour.

"Should I caress it?" He asks, and immediately regrets using that word with the way Harry's eyes narrows.

"Sure, being at the theater yesterday must have taught you a thing or two about caressing."

"Harry-"

"I'm just sorry that the chicken part we're cooking doesn't have a neck for you to caress."

"Haz-"

"Or should chickens start adjusting their body parts for you just so you can caress it properly."

"What-"

"Should I find you a chicken neck to caress?"

"H-"

"Why is my neck not enough for you to caress?" He hiss "I have a neck too!"

"Fine, I'll just rubbed it."

"As you should."

Zayn shakes his head, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing "It would be miraculous if I actually learn how to cook after this."

"Mira-culous?" Harry bristles at the word.

Zayn gives him a look "What? it's true. 'M not really the greatest bloke out there to cook."

"Oh, but you're the greatest at caressing things?"

"I didn't caress her!"

"So you know what I was talking about this entire time, huh?" Harry demanded.

"How can I not?" Zayn laughs "I think I'm about to throw up for hearing the word caress too many times."

Harry doesn't look impress at Zayn's effort to steer the tension. He sat down on one of the kitchen stools and looks at him pointedly as he crosses his arms. His face set into a harsh look.

Zayn sighs "Look, Mira and I was a long time ago."

"So you dated?"

Zayn cringes "What? No, of course not." At Harry's confused look, he clarifies "Just fuck."

Harry's tongue poked the inside of his cheeks clearly looking vexed.

"It was long ago. And we stopped, like, after the fifth time we did it." He shrugs as he walked towards where Harry is sitting.

"Was she any good?"

Zayn smirks as he walks in between Harry's legs and grips his thighs before snaking his hands behind his waist. He leans in so his nose is touching Harry's. He smirks when Harry starts breathing heavily and his hand starts gripping Zayn's shoulders.

"Oh, baby, she's nothing compared to you." He grins as he starts nibbling on Harry's jaw and peppering his neck and cheek with kisses.

It was the first time Zayn called Harry a term of endearment, and if he only said it in a different situation, Harry would probably blush and get turned on, but they were talking about Zayn's sex history which is off putting.

Harry pushes Zayn off and stands up from where he was sitting "Oh, please, Zayn, how can you say that when we haven't even done anything at all."

"So, what you're saying is that you want to do it now?"

Harry rolls his eyes "Not now now."

"All right, when?"

Harry sighs "I'm not going to be one of those creepy people who schedules their sexy time."

And Zayn should be upset right now because Harry's clearly upset so he needs to be upset as well, but instead he lets out a laugh "Sexy time?"

"Stop laughing. Why are you even laughing? there's nothing funny!"

"Oh, babe, did you just say sexy time instead of sex?" He continues to laugh "Seriously Harry how can we have sex if we can't even discuss this?"

"So, it's my fault that we can't have sex?" Harry challenges

"Fine, if you want to do it right here right now. Get up the counter and I'll get the lube."

"Why? will you top? I thought you were a bottom."

"Yeah, but who's going to top? you?"

"Of course, I'm better than you."

Zayn snorts "You don't even have a coordination, and what's wrong with me being on top?"

"Nothing, we'll just both enjoy it more, because I'm bigger."

"Excuse me?" Zayn's jaw drops at the statement. "How can you be so sure?"

"Zayn, darling, I've felt you before. Now climb over the counter, I'll top."

"I'm not doing it," He lets out an incredulous laugh "You're the one who's going lie on that counter."

"No, you will. I'm bigger!"

"No, I am!"

"Oh, for fuck sake, just fuck all ready!" Louis exclaims barging in the kitchen with an angry look.

Zayn blinks "What the fuck-"

"I can't sleep with all your yapping on who's bigger when in fact, I've seen the both of you already, and to be honest, mates, I'm not even impressed."

"Oh, you're the one to talk."

Louis glares at him "I'm actually a bottom for your information-"

"Information's not very necessary."

"-because I'm a royalty and I don't do hard labor. Plus, I have a big bum. Now, if you excuse me I'm going out to buy a ciggie."

When Louis left, Zayn turns to look at Harry.

"He does have a big bum." Harry mutters to Zayn.

"You would know." Zayn glares.

"Oh, please, he said he has seen you too."

"That's because we've been mates for fifteen years which gives a lot of time for stupidity to happen."

"Such as?"

Zayn shrugs "Skinny dipping, genitalia tattooing, pranks that includes pulling one's trousers, hiding each other's clothes at the locker room, using Louis' bum as a canvas for drawing, playing drinking games, you know just some kids stuff."

Harry blinks "You have a crotch tattoo?"

"Was that the only thing you've heard?"

"That's the only thing that caught my attention."

Zayn laughs.

"So, am I going to get to see a full view or what?"

Zayn gives him a flirty smile "Of course, love, anything for you."

His eyes shines bright, and Zayn could tell that he was excited "When?"

"I thought you're not the creepy guy who schedules their sexy time?" He mocks.

Harry rolls his eyes "Of course, I'm not. I was just joking."

Zayn walks over to Harry and wraps his arms around him. He smiles as he nuzzles his face into Harry's hair before kissing his forehead and biting his ears.

He hears Harry lets out a sigh of contentment when Zayn grips his waist tighter. "I'm still not talking to you." He mutters.

"You're ridiculous." Zayn laughs as he pulls away a little from Harry to give him a butterfly kiss.

He can instantly feel Harry relax into his touch. "Still mad?" He asks and Harry fixed his curls as he looks up at the wall, pretending to be interested in the graffiti on the wall and the countless paintings Zayn made.

"Babeeeeeee." Zayn drew out to get Harry's attention and put his head in between Harry's neck where he inhales his scent and bites his neck.

When Zayn pulls back he saw Harry grinning from ear to ear.

"You're not mad." Zayn smiles and Harry rolls his eyes and wraps his legs around Zayn's waist before bringing their faces closer to give him a kiss.

The kiss lasted long and it's so sweet and soft that it makes Zayn weak in the legs. Zayn pulls Harry closer until his pelvis is against Harry's crotch.

Harry's hands went from Zayn's neck to his bum. He kisses Zayn on the lips one more time before moving to his neck where he sucks, bites, and lick Zayn's skin. It was lazy but he likes the feeling of Harry's tongue dancing on his skin.

When Harry finally pulls away from his neck, Zayn could just tell that there are huge bruises that are slowly turning from dark red to purple.

"Can I touch you?" The question made Zayn moan and he can actually feel tingles in his stomach as Harry came down from the stool and places his large hands on Zayn's chest.

Zayn can't talk, it feels like his heart is in his throat as Harry looks at him with his beautiful eyes.

"Well, can I, baby?" He asks again and when Zayn nods, he smiles.

Then his hands lowered.

***

It was freezing. It was so cold that Zayn thinks he's back in Glasgow when his father took Zayn with him for his business trip when he was nine. He was thankful that he had the sense to grab his thickest coat before he lets Louis shoved him out of the door and into a cab to get to his mate's party. Zayn didn't even want to go, but Louis insisted so much that Zayn had no choice but to go in order for Louis to shut up.

Zayn hates him so much. If only murder has no legal repercussion Zayn might have throttle his best mate for being a daft for going to a party without any certain transportation of how to get back home. Hence, they're at the corner of the street waiting for Harry to pick them up since Louis already finished all of his money from losing a bet at the party and Zayn forgot his wallet back at the flat, therefore they can't pay for the bus.

It was downright embarrassing to call Harry at three o'clock in the morning and ask for a lift, but Harry waved off Zayn's apologies and told him that he'll pick them up in ten. Frankly, Zayn wouldn't have called Harry if they have other options, but they don't.

"So, what's going on with you and Harry?" Louis asks as he takes the lighter from Zayn's palms and lights his cigarettes.

He shrugs. He knows that Louis will eventually ask with the way Harry keeps staying and visiting at his and Louis' flat and with the way Harry didn't even hesitate to say yes when Zayn asked him to pick them up at three in the morning "Nothing serious."

"Nothing serious, ey? Is that why you and Harry talks and settles every decision around you like it's a big deal and will affect your future."

"We don't do that." He rolls his eyes as he drags the ciggie away his mouth to blow out the smoke.

Louis raises his eyebrows in challenge "Remember the time when I asked you both if Harry's staying the night at the flat so I'll know if I will order an extra weed from Tarly and you both got flustered like it's the first time you'll both attend a sleepover."

"That was our first night together, all right?" Zayn defends.

"Well, what happened that night, tosser?"

"We snogged and we were about to do it. He was on my bed and taking off my b-"

"Gross, Zayn!" Louis moans "Don't narrate a smut."

Zayn punches him in the arms and flips him off with his finger "I'm not, chill." Louis rolls his eyes "As I was saying, we were about to do it, but then Harry saw my freshmen ID and it just ruined the mood."

"Because you look like a frog in a grasshopper's body?" He teases.

Zayn scowls at him "You're the one to talk. Remember when a girl called you a 'boiled pigeon' because you got that awful Mohawk just to fit in with that goth group you were trying to impress back in sixth form."

It was Louis' turn to scowl "I told you to forget that! I was young!"

"Yeah, you were.".

"I didn't know any better."

"You never do."

"And I regret it."

"Cry me a river."

"You're a twat."

Zayn snorts.

"And I hope Harry never sucks your dick."

Zayn glares at him "Don't jinx it, you mohawk-headed twat."

Louis gives him an incredulous look "Have you even done it?"

There was a pregnant pause until Zayn shrugs "He touched me."

Louis blinks at him "Oh, wow, congratulations! That's such a big step for two twelve year old virgins. What should you do next? Kiss each other with tongues?"

"Don't mock us." Zayn slaps him on the back of his head. "We're going to do it eventually,"

"Great, you scheduled your sex sessions. When are you going to turn thirteen then, twelve year old Zayn?"

"Oi, shut it will you!"

Louis rolls his eyes "I'm just saying that this is like the most tedious friends with benefits relationship in the history."

"Oh, fuck off." Zayn scowls "We're getting there."

Louis snorts "You're just afraid that once you do it, you'll realize you'll want more."

"What do you mean?"

"Zayn, friends with benefits is a gobshite relationship. It's not real! And one of you will eventually fall for the other and I don't think it would be Harry."

Zayn didn't respond, instead he looks away from Louis and settles his gaze at a street lamp that was a few meters away.

"I know." Zayn finally mutters so quietly that Louis wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't so fixated on Zayn's problem.

Louis gives him a pointed look "You know you can't. He has a soulmate and-"

"I know." Zayn repeats again.

Louis sighs before looking away from Zayn for a moment and then turning back around with a sour look "How's Jo anyway?"

"Fine." Zayn rolls his eyes "You don't have to bring that up?"

"I'm just interested, because Jo's my friend."

"If you're a friend, then ask Jo yourself."

"I just don't want you to forget." Louis gives him a pity look.

"I know." Zayn almost growls

"Especially since you're getting attached to Harry."

At the mention of his name, Harry immediately pops into Zayn's mind like a cat appearing out of nowhere.

Zayn's heart beats fast at the thought of seeing and being with Harry again soon. Zayn's heart flutters fiercely within his chest like a hummingbird. Without realizing it, Zayn was smiling faintly like an idiot. He tries to stop it, but found that he can't. If he could, he would go inside his rib cage and physically squeeze his damn heart until it stopped beating for Harry.

There was a moment of pause until Zayn sighs and says "I know." in a quiet defeated tone as his mind keeps screaming and chanting Harry's name.

His mind didn't stopped thinking of Harry until the familiar green car of the devil himself stopped in front of Zayn and Louis.

"Hey, damsel in distress." Harry calls out with a mock disappointed frown.

Zayn rolls his eyes as he and Louis made a move towards the car but stopped when Harry went out of the car and rushed to Zayn with his jacket.

"It's 60 Farenheit. Here, wear this." Harry helped Zayn get the jacket on, not missing the look Louis' giving him from behind Harry.

"I'm all right." Zayn says tightly, not making eye contact with Harry, because he knows Louis' right.

"Oh, please, I know how cold you always get." Harry rolls his eyes. And Zayn can't do anything about it but accept Harry's offer.

"What took you so long anyway? I thought you'll be here in ten minutes, grandpa." Zayn teases when they all got in the car.

Harry huffs reaching at the back seat before settling something on Zayn's lap "I stopped by at Mcdonald's and bought you nuggets. Here. I know how hungry you always get after you've gone out to drink."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, eat up, babe."

***

Zayn was late again and to be honest it irks him that Paul won't let his tardiness slide, especially since Zayn hasn't been tardy for over thirty days now, and that itself is an accomplishment for Zayn Malik.

Honestly, Paul should give him more credit since his last tardy attendance was a month ago, now that Harry picks Zayn up everyday for work and literally drags him out of bed, he hasn't been late ever since they started whatever thing that's between him and Harry.

Today was the first time Harry didn't picked him up from his flat, but that's only because Harry lent his car today to a single mother next door who has to drive her newly crippled daughter to school at the very last minute. And it was all right, Harry warned Zayn that he couldn't picked him up today. And Zayn couldn't blame Harry since the he was only being a sweet and thoughtful neighbor.

As usual, Paul made him clean the theater rooms for being late, but he doesn't have it in him to be irritated at the turn of events when Harry decided to stay with him late at night, helping Zayn pick up the neglected trashes and wipe the spilled sodas.

Zayn has a sneaking suspicion that Harry would rather be at home right now. So when Zayn told Harry he could go home and not to worry about him, he didn't expect for Harry to laugh at him and wave off his worry as he started following Zayn in each theater room to pick up the candy wrappers and kernel buckets.

"You can always leave whenever you want, all right?" Zayn can't help but say for the tenth time. Harry gave him a look to belt up and then proceed to pick up the trashes.

"Why were you so late anyway?"

Zayn shrugs "Louis almost burned the flat this morning. I had to stay and clean up his mess."

Harry's jaw drops open in shock and amazement "How did he managed to almost burned up the flat?"

"He put a fork inside our toaster. That dumb twat." Zayn rolls his eyes.

"What? Why?" Harry asks in an incredulous tone "Was he high? drunk?"

"Neither." Zayn answers with a pursed lip, just thinking of Louis increases his blood pressure. "He accidentally dropped a penny inside the toaster so he thought it was a good idea to stick a fork inside a fucking electrical appliance while it's plugged in to get the penny out before we explode."

"And then?"

"We did explode." At Harry's horror look, Zayn waves him off "Sort of. There was a smoke and the toaster kept making a noise that made us both think we're about to die. Then the fire detector went off and the fire extinguisher was used. And our landlord cursed at us and called us idiots and made us get drug tests."

"And then?"

"That's it." Zayn laughs at Harry's horrified expression "I slapped him on the back of his head for being a splendid moron so he punched me and then I got this bruised." Zayn showed Harry the purple mark on his hips.

"Great harmless friendship you've got, babe." Harry shakes his head, chuckling before swooping down to kiss his cheek.

Zayn grins at him. His eyes twinkling and his lips twitching. He was far too enamored to care that he was staring at Harry. He knows for certain he's besotted with him. It's so easy to be, and all Zayn wants is to show Harry how strongly he feels.

"What are you looking at?" Harry looks at him from under his lashes, tilting his head as he gives Zayn a soft smile

Zayn shakes his head, turning away from Harry for a moment before looking back at him again because he physically cannot stop staring at the beauty that is Harry Styles. "Nothing."

"Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing." Zayn bites his lips, trying and failing to make his smile disappear.

"Well, stop smiling then."

"I can't."

Then Harry kisses him again.

"How can I stop smiling if you keep kissing me?"

"Should I stop kissing you then?"

"No!" Zayn protest loudly which earns an enticing laugh from Harry before encircling his hands on Zayn's waist and giving him a raspberry kiss.

"You're adorable." Harry smiles leaning his forehead against Zayn's "I love--I mean I love this shirt on you." He says, clearing his throat.

Zayn gives him a flirtatious smile, not noticing Harry's wide eyes and blushing cheeks. "Don't be horny now."

Harry snorts "Who says I'm horny?"

"The hard thing that's resting against my thigh." He replies.

"Told you I'm big."

Zayn rolls his eyes "I didn't say you were big-"

"Shh." Harry covers Zayn's mouth "Don't ruin our lovely moment, love."

"Talking about your dick is a lovely moment?"

"Everything that includes dick is a lovely moment."

Zayn gives him an amused smile "I hope you also don't mean Paul since he has a dick."

"Oh, and look at that, my boner disappeared." Harry says, looking down at himself.

Zayn laughs "Get off, I need to finish this so we can go home."

"M'kay." Harry replies but made no movement of letting go of Zayn's waist, instead he starts sucking on his neck.

Zayn lets out another laugh "Idiot, quit."

Harry, after a moment, pulls away "Later?"

"Later, baby."

***

"So, when's your neighbor going to return your car?" Zayn asks as he watches Harry collects his stuff from his locker. It was almost midnight, and Zayn doesn't think he could wait for a bus to finish its route at this time of the night.

"She already returned the car hours ago actually."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, after she drove Holly off to school she went straight here to dropped off my car then went home via bus. I told her that she should just drive herself home with the car so she doesn't need to take the bus, but she left before I could hand her back my keys."

Zayn smiles, endeared with how sensible and sweet Harry is.

"You must be really close to your neighbors then."

"Why? Aren't you?"

"I'm pretty sure the guy next door in our flat is running a met lab."

Harry laughs "Shouldn't Louis trying to be a kiss arse then?"

"He's already a kiss arse."

"An experienced one." Harry teases.

Zayn gives him an annoyed look "Oh, please, I know nothing happened between you two that night."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You already said!" Zayn pinned him with a pointed look "You weren't lying when you said that you and Louis didn't do anything that night, right?"

Harry laughs "All right, we didn't do anything. Don't be jelly." He says poking Zayn on his stomach.

Zayn rolls his eyes, slapping Harry's hands away "I'm not jealous."

"Right." Harry says dryly "It's such a small world though isn't it?"

"What is?"

"That you and I were in the same club that night."

"You're lucky I was there because if it weren't for me you'll be unemployed." Zayn teases him.

"You mean you're lucky I was there." Harry corrects "Because if it weren't for me, we wouldn't have met. Then you wouldn't know what to do with your life."

"You mean if I haven't met you, I could sleep with two pillows under my head every night and have my bed all to myself." He teases, gripping Harry's hips and squeezing it softly.

Harry rolls his eyes "Oh, please, I'm the best thing that happened in your life."

"You wish you're the best thing that happened in my life." Zayn jabs.

"You wish you were my soulmate." Harry retorts back.

Zayn stiffens at that because he does. He does so fucking much. He wants nothing more in his life than to be the one Harry's been looking for all along, but he's not, and Zayn is devastated by that fact. It feels like someone took a hammer and smash his heart into bits then buried all the pieces separately so no one could assemble it back.

Harry, oblivious to the effect his words had made to Zayn, laughs, snapping Zayn out of his bubble.

"Nah, not really." Zayn lies.

"Yeah, right, I know you love me too." He grins playfully, then covers his mouth promptly after the words left his mouth. His eyes are wide as they stared at Zayn's shocked eyes.

"P-platonically, I mean." Harry stutters, clearly flustered, letting go of Zayn immediately.

"Yeah, okay." Zayn chokes "I know what you mean."

"Y-yeah?" Harry clears his throat.

"I mean I like you-"

"-And I like you too-"

"Platonically." Zayn wince

Harry clears his throat "Yep. In a friendly way."

Zayn winces "Yeah, that sounds about right."

There was an uncomfortable silence after that, one that was broken by the sound of Zayn's stomach growling.

Zayn's face reddens at the loud sound.

"Are you hungry? When was the last time you've eaten?"

"Starving." He confesses. "And, I dunno, lunch."

Harry sighs "Let's eat then."

"Where?"

"Well, if you want we could just order pizza at home or would you rather we eat out?"

"Anything's fine."

"All right. We could order pizza and then I'll suck you off. How's that sound?" Harry grins.

Zayn looks at him with wide eyes "C-couldn't have suggested anything better."

"Yeah?" Harry bites his lips looking at Zayn from head to toe, clearly checking him out. That's one of the things he likes about Harry. He never seems to feel blasè of Zayn's facial features and body. It seems like even after a month of fooling around, he still finds Zayn doubtlessly attractive.

"All right to your flat then?"

"Yeah, sure-oh, wait, crap I forgot." Zayn curses. "I left my keys back at my place and Louis won't be home till one in the morning."

"Why?"

"He went to this party and said that he'll be back by one."

"All right, let's just eat out."

"Where?" Zayn asks as they made their way out of the theater and to the sidewalk where he waits for Harry to lock it.

"Shake Shack?"

Zayn smiles "Coincidentally, I'm craving for burgers right now."

Harry grins "There's a Shake Shack store two blocks away. Wanna walk?"

"Yeah." Zayn answers. When Harry finishes locking the door, they turn around and start walking to the direction of Shake Shack.

Harry was talking about his family and friends back in Holmes Chapel when he felt Harry's hand brush down his own until their fingers automatically intertwined. Zayn froze because they were holding hands now, with their fingers tightly intertwined.

Zayn have kissed, snogged, sucked and seen Harry naked, but he has never hold his hands like they were a couple before. Having his fingers locked into Harry's feels like he was falling from a high structure and his heart was left up in the air while his whole body is falling.

When he looked up at him, Harry was still talking about how his mum dragged Harry to the mall as they followed Gemma on her first date, and how embarrassing it was when his mum kept taking pictures of Gemma and her date without them knowing. Zayn was listening with only one ear, he was too fixated on the feeling of Harry's hand on his own to actually listen.

When they got inside the restaurant, Zayn expects for Harry to let go now, but he didn't. He and Harry were the only customers save for the three people at the very back of the restaurant who were all too busy on their phones.

"Welcome to Shake Shack. Can I have your order?" The cashier says in a preppy tone as she eyes Zayn for a bit too long and smiles at him far too wide. Harry turns to Zayn and ask him what he wants as he point at the menu board using his hand that's intertwined with Zayn, resulting for the cashier's eyes to look at their hands that's tightly locked together.

"I'll have a SmokeShack." Zayn answers, looking away from Harry.

"Great choice, baby." Harry says loudly before turning to look back at the cashier. "We'll have two SmokeShack."

"Do you want to avail our promo?" She asks as she points at a board that say couples get an upgrade on their meal. Harry and Zayn looked at each other for a second, both of them obviously thinking that if they introduced themselves as a couple will it cross a line. Zayn shrugs at Harry.

"That's lovely." Zayn mutters after a second of silent "Of course, love." He says to the cashier who beams at him.

"Great!" She smiles "You just have to fill out this survey." She says as she hands them a pen and a piece of paper that has five questions on it. "You can fill the survey at your table."

"Thank you, darling." Harry smiles before taking the survey sheet and the table number from the counter. They made their way to a table that's closest to the window.

"All right, how would you want to answer number one?" Harry asks as they finally settled next to each other. Zayn leans closer to Harry so he could read the survey better.

How did you two meet? He reads

"Um..I met you because you're my best mate's one night stand." Zayn shrugs. Harry gives him a look.

"We can't say that. It has to be romantic." He rolls his eyes.

"Fine, how about we met at a bar and you were kissing someone-"

Harry cuts him off with a funny look "You know what, I'll answer this on my own."

"What? Why?"

"Because you can't think of a romantic scene on how we met."

"Fine. I'll do number two then." Zayn huffs as he starts to read the second question.

How long have you been together?

"Let's go with 'we have no idea because we lost track of time looking at each other's eyes.'"

Harry gave him an unimpressed look "I said to be romantic, not to be cheesy that makes people barf."

Zayn palms his face in frustration "Fine. Let's go with two years because we're so committed to each other and no hoe can ruin that."

"Better." Harry laughs. "All right, third question."

Most memorable date?

"How about we went to a beach and you almost drowned-" Zayn starts.

"Why do I have to drown?" Harry whines.

"So the cashier will think we're adventurous."

"That's the reason why I have to drown?"

"Yes."

"How did that happened then?"

"You were surfing"

"I've never surfed before."

"That was your first time."

"Won't I need a surfing instructor?"

"You don't need one."

"But I don't know how to surf."

"That's why you drowned."

"I don't like this date!" Harry protest "How can this be memorable? And where were you while I was drowning?"

"At the shore."

"And this is memorable because?"

"We were having a good time." Zayn rolls his eyes.

"But suddenly I was drowning and calling for help?"

"Better than drowning and sinking."

"Fine." Harry huffs "Fourth question."

What do you do when one of you is feeling under the weather?

"Normally, I would want a cup of tea." Harry answers.

"All right, then I'll ask Louis to make you a cuppa."

"Why?"

"Because Lou's really good at brewing."

"Well, what if Louis' not there."

"Why, where will he be?"

"Um..Out of the city."

"Why is he out of the city? Is he sick?"

"No, he's perfectly fine."

"If he's fine, then I don't see why he can't make me a tea."

Harry made a frustrated noise "I'll just answer this one as well."

"Fine." Zayn groans "Next question."

Are you soulmates?

There was a long pause before they looked at each other.

"Yes-"

"-No"

They answer at the same time. They both looked at each other with panic eyes.

"You answer this." Zayn says as he gives Harry the sheet. Zayn didn't looked at the paper for the rest of the meal.

"You're welcome by the way." He says when they're done with the survey and they're halfway finished to their meal.

"For what?" Harry says as he steals Zayn's fries.

"If it weren't for me, you won't have your food upgraded." He teases.

"Because I wouldn't have met you?" Harry gives him a mocking look.

"Yes."

"You mean if it weren't for Louis I wouldn't have met you."

"How did Louis even managed to get you to go home with him? Thinking of a reasonable explanation is beyond me."

"Give him more credit, won't you?" Harry laughs.

"Well, how did it happened then? You never told me."

"Remember when I said I met my soulmate at that club." Zayn nods slowly at Harry's question.

It's not like Zayn absolutely forgot about Harry's goal on finding his match, it's just that Zayn loathes and terrified when that day comes. And every time Harry talks about Him - which is rare nowadays- Zayn can't help but feel a void occurring inside him.

"When He and the girl were kissing they made their way to the loo, I followed them before I can process what I was doing." He says "But when I got in front of the toilets, I can't open the door because I was paralyzed from hearing the girl's name. That's where Louis found me. He asked if I was all right and if he could get me a drink. I said yes but at that time I was distracted because all I can hear was them. Until now I remember the girl's name."

"What's her name?"

"Her name's N-"

"Good evening sir! Can we get the survey back?"

"Of course." Zayn says as he hands the paper back to the girl, who frowns at the back page.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, but you forgot to answer the back part."

When Harry and Zayn look at what she's pointing, they saw another five questions at the back. So for thirty more minutes, they banter on how they ask each other out, how their first kiss was, how they found out they liked each other and how they confessed their love.

Their whole time answering the survey was filled with banter and ridiculous remarks. All the while answering, one thing keeps coming to Zayn's mind that despite being perfect for each other, they are not soulmates.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.

"Stop doing that. Just call him first." Louis grumbles begrudgingly as Zayn continues his pacing in the living room.

Louis doesn't understand why Zayn can't call Harry first. Granted, that Louis' not the biggest fan of what's happening between the two idiots due to their predicament, but Zayn's distracting Louis from playing Fifa with Stan, and it's driving him mad.

Louis invited Stan over so he could be the proxy Zayn since the latter has been distracted by Harry lately. Louis was actually on the brink of calling Jo instead of Stan just to get it over with, but he doesn't want to be in the middle of a fight that would inevitably come.

"Don't call him first." Stan argues as he drinks his beer. "If you do, you'll become a slave."

"I won't call. I won't move a finger until he calls me first." Zayn ironically says as he keeps pacing and fiddling with his phone.

"That's right! You're doing well." Stan grins at him.

"How can you say that as you watch him do that? That's a withdrawal symptoms of Harry Styles. It should be a disease. He should just call him." Louis rolls his eyes.

He was about to tell Zayn to jack off in his room when the phone finally rings "It's him, it's him." Zayn rushes, stopping in front of the television where Louis and Stan were about to score.

Stan and Louis curses at him till he moves away from the television.

"Relax, just be cool." Stan absently says. Louis snorts at the advice, before pausing the game.

When he looks up at Zayn, he saw him silently counting up to ten as he lets the phone ring for five more times even though Louis could tell that Zayn's finger is itching to press the answer button.

After the seventh ring, Zayn takes a deep breath and slowly puts the phone against his ears.

"Hello?" Zayn starts.

"Just remember, be cool." Stan reminds.

Zayn nods before smiling at the phone. "Who's this?" There was a pause until Zayn shakes his head with a faked frown on his lips. "Harry? Harry who?"

"That is a little overboard." Stan frowns.

"A little? It's too much." Louis replies.

"Oh!" Zayn suddenly exclaims as if he was struck by some realization "Oh, yeah, Harry Styles, right? I remember you now. How are you?"

There was a pause, and Louis could see how Zayn's trying not to smile.

"You're asking if I'm free?" Zayn asks, gripping the phone harder. "Let me check my schedule." He lies.

After a couple of seconds, Zayn cursed, pretending to be disappointed "Bloody hell, I am so busy that I don't even remember that you didn't call me for three days and thirteen hours."

"Oh my god." Stan palms his head. "Can't he keep his cool?"

"Zayn doesn't even know how to be cool." Louis rolls his eyes.

"All right. I'm not sure if I can meet you today, but I'll try." Zayn says before hanging up.

He looks at Louis and Stan with a big smile on his face. "Did you see that? I hanged up first."

"Congrats." Stan says dryly before resuming the game.

"So what did he say?"

"He asks if I wanted to have a lunch with him."

Louis gives him an absurd look "What's truly going on with you and Harry?" He finally asks "Honestly, Zayn, this is going on for too long."

"What are you on about?"

"You eat dinner with him, he brings you breakfast, he cooks your lunch. This isn't fucking. This is a relationship."

"We're not-"

"You better not fall for him, Zayn, because your parents will find out."

"They won't."

"They will." Louis says firmly "I'm sorry, mate, I love you and all that, but you're making a mistake. If you continue this thing with Harry, everyone will find out." He gives him a pointed look. "Yaser, Don, Wal, Saf, Tricia, Jo-"

Stan's head snaps up "Wait, she doesn't know?"

Louis shakes his head, Stan gasp "Oh God, she's going to kill you."

"She won't, if you don't mention anything to me mum." Zayn looks at Stan with a pointed look.

"That sounds like threat." Stan blinks "Anyway, your mum will find out eventually, then she's going to kill you, mate."

"Definitely." Louis snarks.

"Oh, piss off." He says as he walks out of the door and left.

***

Zayn knows Louis's right, he can't be with Harry when he already found his soulmate and when Zayn has his own problems, but Zayn feels like his heart both swell and shrivel with each passing day.

He and Harry had become practically inseparable - Harry makes him breakfast one day then takes him to a silent movie the next, then to an art gallery that hands free wine and then to a local pier to watch street musicians. Harry then takes him on a picnic then to an ice skating rink. Takes him to eat snow cones where he licks it off Zayn's cheeks then made him dance with him in a Zumba class. Then to the park for a stroll then to an animal shelter to feed the dogs.

And Zayn says yes to every single one. There's a near permanent smile on his face and his eyes are brighter than they've been in the longest time.

And Zayn knows he's genuinely happy.

***

It was late at night when Zayn finally talked to Louis. Neither of them apologized or continued their argument where they left it off. It was an unspoken thing between them to always make up before the day ends.

"You're such a twat." Zayn scowls when Louis pushes him inside the pub just because a bloke smiled at him from the entrance before disappearing inside. Louis said they were going to grab dinner since neither of them did their weekly grocery, but instead of doing that, Louis thought it was a fancy idea to go inside a pub and look for the cute bloke who smiled at him instead.

"Just because you already have someone to suck your dick doesn't mean I do."

Zayn cringes "Don't objectify Harry."

Louis rolls his eyes "Damn, mate, you've become so domesticated it's killing me."

He sighs "Just look for your imaginary bloke."

"Thank you for giving me permission, master." Louis says with as much sarcasm as possible "If it's all right with you could I also please gracefully lift my middle finger and shove it to your face?"

Zayn scowls "It would be better if you staple your hands to your arse."

Louis glares at him "Just like it's better if you wax your cock to your mouth."

Zayn narrows his eyes at him "That's disgusting and I don't even know what that means."

"Me neither." He shrugs "Well, wish me luck on finding him."

"Don't take too long!" Zayn calls out on his retreating back, before making his way to the bar counter and ordering himself some fish and chips.

It was a couple a while before Louis returned with a defeated sigh. He didn't announce his presence on Zayn by neither pushing him off the stool and taking over his chair like he always does nor did he put his mouth next to Zayn's ear and shout on top of his lungs.

"I'm done, Zayn, I'm done!" He cries as he slumps next to him. "When will I ever find my soulmate?"

"Probably when you stopped searching for him at pubs and clubs."

"Who says people can't find their other halves at pubs?" Louis arches his eyebrows as he orders a drink. "Didn't Harry found his' at a pub?"

Zayn quiets at that comment. "Do you think that when you find your soulmate you automatically have to be with them?"

"What?" He gives Zayn a strange look before catching the sad expression on his mate's face. "I...I believe that you could love anyone but not necessarily end up with them." He says.

Zayn turns to him with a frown, and Louis feels a pang of pain for his mate "Oh, Zayn, this is about Harry, isn't it?"

He shakes his head, and Louis knows that Zayn's trying not to show a slight emotion. "You ever fallen in love with someone like five times? Like damn I thought I loved you before, but what is this next level of shit?" Zayn says with a humorless chuckle.

Louis looks at him with pity. "Oh, Zee."

"It such a beautiful thing when you get so comfortable with someone and you realize you're telling them things you've never even said out loud before."

"Is this how you really feel about him?"

Zayn bit his lips "I know it's wrong. He has a soulmate and-" His voice cracks.

Louis glances at him with a worried look. It's not the first time Louis has seen Zayn emotional, but it's always strange to witness it.

"I have reasons I can't be with him." Zayn finishes his thought. "Sometimes I just wished I never met him, but then my heart will immediately reject that, and then I'll wish to fight for Harry harder which my mind will bully me for it."

"Normally I would say to follow your mind because I'm practical as you know, but I think you won't get a minute of peace if you do. Following your heart would make you happy at the same time it would make you the saddest. I just hope you know what you're bargaining for if you follow either one."

"I hope so too." Zayn whispers so quietly.

"How do you really feel about him? " Louis asks "Like how attracted are you to him?"

Zayn didn't even spare him a glance "I'm so wildly attracted to him that it's actually driving me crazy." He says "It feels like nobody else would be attractive for me." He adds.

Louis bites his lips "I want to tell you that this is just a phase, but hearing you say that makes me so sad, because that type of attraction you're feeling is one of those kinds that would be hard to get rid of, and what's worse is that it is one of those type of love you know you can't have."

"What do you think should I do?"

"I wish I knew." Louis says truthfully "But for the meantime you should slowly try to detached yourself from Harry, because one of these days he'll reunite with his soulmate and I don't want you to feel the type of hurt that would inevitably come if you've completely fallen for him."

"What if I already have?"

Louis snorts as he rest his palm on Zayn's shoulders "Bitches are replaceable."

"Louis, I could punch you right now." Zayn chuckles.

He laughs "You just need a fresh air and twenty shots of vodka and probably a cock in your mouth-" He stops mid-sentence when his eyes lands somewhere behind Zayn.

"What is it?" Zayn asks as Louis' eyes find Zayn's again, but now Louis looks worried and angry.

Zayn turns around and almost quickly he spots Harry among the crowd.

Immediately, in the midst of the dreariest part of the day, Zayn felt for a moment as if he had glimpsed sunshine. He could swear he felt things grow brighter around him, like a storm is retreating and the sky is lightening.

Seeing Harry makes him feel alive with energy, every organ and vessel and muscle in his body is singing the same pitch. Something about Harry makes him feel like he's about to fall or turn to liquid or burst into flames.

Then Harry kissed someone.

Fire and ice engulfs Zayn. There's an odd clawing at the back of his throat as he watches the girl pulls Harry closer and how Harry's holding so tight on the girl's waist as if he's afraid she'll disappear in any minute.

Zayn gulps. Suddenly the world around him becomes dark. He can't move, can't blink, can't breathe. Is this seriously fucking happening?

"Harry?" Was the first and only thing Zayn can say. He feels like all the air's been drained out of him. He feels a sting in his eyes but he refused to cry out his pain and frustration as he scrubs a hand through his hair. What the fuck is happening? Is this real?

He feels deflated. He feels like a fucking balloon that's been deflated. That's how he feels. Like every beautiful, colorful thing about Zayn has been splashed by black paint.

"Zayn." He hears the worry in Louis' tone, but Zayn didn't acknowledge it as he marches his way across the room to where Harry's snogging the girl.

Zayn can't think straight as he make his way to Harry. All he knows is the sinking feeling in his heart when he catches the look Harry's giving to the girl. And Zayn knows that look. He's been on the receiving end of it ever since he and Harry met. Harry uses that look on him when he wants to fool around or when he's flirting with Zayn, but now Harry's giving that look to someone else.

Has Harry finally found his soulmate?

But it can't be, his soulmate is a boy.

He stops when he was finally a few feet in front of them.

"Harry." He says, voice cracking.

Harry looks up and when he saw it was Zayn, he suddenly looks like a deer caught in a headlights, mouth gaping open, eyes wide, his body frozen on the spot. His face falls when his eyes flicker to Zayn. Harry watches him warily, shock still clear in his eyes. Like he got caught doing something he shouldn't.

And crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap. He feels his eyes burning , feels a heavy, hot moisture coat the surface. He can't fucking cry. Zayn Malik does not cry for anyone--not even Harry Styles.

"What are you doing?" He says quietly, angrily, everything becoming blurry against his will. Fuck. Zayn's vision blurs. Actual tears are thick in his eyes and they're threatening to spill over. Zayn tries to evens his breathing- which shakes betrayingly.

And when a tear formed in his eyes to the point that Zayn can't see anything, he left.

He promptly made his way out of the pub, wiping his eyes as he goes. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. It seems like his lungs can't get enough air and in any minute he might passed out. When he got outside, he has to take slow deep breaths to calm his pounding heart.

He looks at the empty road. He needs to get out of here. He needs to leave. He wants to leave-

"Zayn!" He hears him calls out.

Zayn was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his skin. When he turns to Harry, he looks so guilty as if he did something so wrong that no one could make it right.

"What are you doing here?" He asks Zayn with wide eyes and pale face. And Zayn almost laugh at the ridiculous question.

"That's the first thing you're going to say after I just saw you kissed someone?"

Harry bit his lips and his eyes seems like it's shouting its own apology "I...I" He stutters "We're not together Zayn."

And he can't say anything else other than lets out a humorless chuckle that ended up sounding like a whimper. And, Jesus, Zayn hates it so much. Hates how he seems so affected at seeing Harry kiss someone, with his crying eyes, puffy cheeks, and redden nose, while Harry only looks like he did a minor mistake and he feels a tad sorry for it.

"Right, we're not together. So, why are you following me?" Zayn asks because he needs to understand, and he feels so disgusted and embarrassed for himself, to lose his mind over his fuck buddy kissing someone else.

But Harry isn't just his fuck buddy, he knows, because he was there when Zayn was feeling sick. Harry was there to cook him chicken soup and kiss him better even though Zayn warned him that he'll catch a fever too, which he eventually did when Harry refused to leave Zayn's side. Harry was there when Zayn keeps getting held back at work to clean the theater rooms. He was there when Zayn's sad so he would treat him ice cream and kiss him behind his ears because Harry knows it always makes him smile. Harry was there when Zayn needs a distraction from his busy life so he'll tell him a story of how his sister hid his swimming trunks when they were young and he can't get out of the pool till everybody's gone. He was there when Zayn gets hungry during working hours and Harry will sneak out for a minute and bring Zayn back burgers from Shake Shack as if Zayn needs it to be a branded burger. Harry was there when Zayn can't sleep late at night so he will take that as an invitation and go to his flat with McDonald's in his one hand and a tea on the other.

And it just hurts, because after all of that, Harry doesn't seem to care at all.

"Zayn, look, I'm so sorry." He pleads. "Everything between us is getting too real. And I have a soulmate. I can't..We can't.." His voice cracks "We can't have feelings."

Zayn didn't say anything.

"You have to understand. I kissed her-"

"You kissed her to prove a point."

Harry closes his eyes in frustration "It's not like that."

"You kissed her to prove that what's between us is strictly platonic. That you can still kiss someone else and not feel guilty about it."

"No, it's not-"

"Well, do you feel guilty?"

Harry looks away "No." He says but his shoulders slumps and his voice was small.

"When we started this, you said that we're not going to be exclusive." Harry says and his voice was filled with accusation as if Zayn's the one at the wrong here "That what we'll have won't be anything serious."

"So, it's all right if I kiss someone else?" Zayn challenges.

Harry wince at the question. His body stiffens and his chest heaves. His fist quickly balled into fist before looking away from Zayn with a shameful blush.

"That is so hypocritical of you, Harry!" Zayn exclaims angrily.

"I know." He says quietly "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"I am!" Harry pleads "Please, I'm so sorry. I was just afraid. Everything was becoming too much. I was just scared that once I meet my soulmate, I would rather.." He trails off.

"You'd rather what?"

"I can't say." He struggles.

"Rather what, Harry?"

"That I'd rather be with you!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Harry exclaims, pointing at him "You, I want all of you. You to call me up every time you have a good news and for you to wear my shirts even when we're at your flat, and you groaning every time I play Miley Cyrus on your phone and asking me how's my family even when you haven't even met them. I want all of it. And I'm afraid that I would rather wake up one day and think of you even when I'm lying next to my soulmate. That I would rather spend my whole day looking at you than be with him."

"Is that so bad?"

"Of course it is!" Harry yells "I have a soulmate and all I can think about is you!"

"Harry-"

"But we can't, because we could never end up together, and I reuse to let it happen."

"What?"

Harry lowers his head, and Zayn could finally see a bit of tear forming in his eyes.

"I'm just scared of what I'm feeling, Z." He whispers. "I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry."

And Zayn was frustrated when he feels a tear slide across his cheeks.

"Well, congrats, your fear just broke my heart." He says as he turns around and walks away, wiping the tears that doesn't seem to stop coming.

***

It was hard. So fucking hard to avoid Harry especially when they worked together, and when Zayn's so used to waking up to morning texts filled with too many emojis to be normal and to go to sleep with a similar text.

And try as Zayn might to avoid him, he misses Harry. He feels strangely homesick for a home that's not even his, and it sucks that he's yearning for someone who already has a mate.

It was late at night when he left his workplace and Zayn was exhausted and frustrated that it has to be raining of all days. He was at the front of his flat when he remembers that Louis borrowed his key yesterday night because he lost his'. Now, Zayn's stuck in front of his flat and he couldn't even get in because no one's buzzing him open even the old lady that lives below Zayn doesn't open the door for him.

He curses when he rings the bell multiple of times yet no resident has opened the door for him. He sighs as he reaches for his phone in his pocket to ring Louis. The strong rain made him cower to the door for at least a bit protection albeit a few minutes too late since his hair and clothes were already drenched.

His call to Louis immediately went to voicemail.

Zayn cursed because the longer he stayed out in the open, the stronger the rain gets it seems. And Zayn has no doubt that he'll get a cold after this, with his wet clothes and drenched body, and the cold breeze that seems to be hitting him from every angle.

Fuck. He has nowhere to go, now that he remembers that Louis' staying over at Stan's tonight, and his neighbors doesn't seem like they're getting out of bed for him anytime soon.

"Zayn!" He whips around to find Harry standing next to his car with an umbrella in hand. Zayn was too surprised to function. He can't feel anything other than the cold wind engulfing his whole body and how wet his shoes and socks were getting.

Before Zayn could tell Harry to sod off, he was already running the steps to shield Zayn under his umbrella as well. "Look, before you say anything, I'm going to go ahead before you run off your mouth." He starts.

And Zayn was too stupefy and shock to actually hear whatever this idiot is saying. "I know I messed up and I know I hurt you, but this isn't the time for you to fight me, because you clearly need help-"

"Are you following me?" Zayn demanded when he finally snapped out of his stupor.

"What? No!" Harry shakes his head and when Zayn raises his eyebrows, he rolls his eyes "It's true! I was planning on waiting for you at the cinema to maybe corner you to talk to me, but you were taking too long and I fell asleep in my car-"

Zayn looks at him warily "And you're here now because?"

"Well..." He trails off as he rubs his arms in an awkward manner "I noticed that you didn't eat lunch a while ago and you were stuck at work till the latest shift so I thought you would feel better if I bought you..umm food." He says "But it's in my car, I don't want it to get wet."

Zayn palms his head in frustration "Ugh, Harry, you're so...annoyingly sweet." Zayn could tell that Harry was surprised by Zayn's words because Zayn is as well. He didn't mean to call Harry sweet even though he truly is, like who the fuck wait for someone in their car for six hours? And who the fuck drives to a food store at twelve in the morning to buy a bloke that's clearly mad at you some food just because they hadn't eaten lunch?

Even in the dreariest night Harry could still make Zayn glimpsed rainbow and sunlight

"Why aren't you going inside though?" Harry asks through the loud sound of a thunder.

"My key's with Louis but he's staying over at a friend's house."

"You're locked out?" Harry asks and the concern in his voice is distinctly blatant.

"Well, you..you can...if you want." He clears his throat "If you want you can stay over at my place." He looks at Zayn shyly "I know you don't want to, but I'd hate the idea of leaving you here especially since the rain is getting stronger."

"You could just leave me, you know?" He says when he notices Harry keeps glancing up at the sky.

"What? No way!" Harry exclaims as if he's insulted that Zayn even dares to say that to Harry.

He snorts "Look, I appreciate the offer-"

Zayn didn't get to finish his sentence as another loud thunder booms through the sky.

"I don't think I can stay with you." Zayn finishes the thought after a couple of seconds, he doesn't want to be stubborn, but seeing Harry still brings back that dreaded night's memories.

"Zayn." He pleads quietly, and it's disheartening when Harry looks at him from under his lashes, and his eyebrows were pinched together with his mouth set into a frown.

And it's such a clear gaze that meets Zayn, so open and green and glinting under moonbeams, that he has to takes a sharp intake of breath. Harry doesn't blink, but Zayn, feeling a million things fighting against his mind and heart, feels himself give a short, respectable nod.

Harry's eyes flit a bit in surprise and something else, then Zayn turns around, slowly walking towards Harry's car. Zayn hates how he would do anything for Harry with just one look. He hates how putty he is in his hands.

When they got into the car, Zayn held his palm up to Harry when he turned to him with an expectant look. "Please, don't talk to me about that night. Anything but that." He says tightly.

Harry bites his lips before nodding "It was my manager." He says instead after a couple of seconds.

"What?"

"Remember when I told you that I'm going to tell you of the story of how I got this car and my reason to quit my previous work?" He asks.

"Oh."

"Don was my manager. He was the head of the Craft Service Team. He was nice at first, but then he started asking me out on dates, and he was asking so much to the extent that it has become so unprofessional and vexing. I was always on the edge of my seat because sometimes I would become unconsciously curt to him which would always leave me to wonder if the next time he talks to me is if he's going to ask me to yet another foreboding date or if he's going to fire me for my impertinent behavior."

"Oh, Harry." Zayn pities "He should have been suspended!"

He shrugs "It's all right, it's in the past now."

"But the anxieties you must have felt from his relentlessness and inappropriate determination. He knows what's at stake for you if you keep displeasing him."

Harry nods "That's why I didn't like mixing my business life with personal."

Zayn nods because now he understands.

"So, anyway, my friend from work, Cal, got subtly fed up from him as well, because he just kept pushing me to do what he wants even when it's not proper. So Cal bet him that he can't go on a week without talking to me. And if he wins, I get to go out with him, but if he loses he'll give me his car."

"Well, you won obviously." Zayn says.

"Nope, I didn't win." He shakes his head "He did."

"What? but you have the car."

"You know it was scary how determined he was, because he didn't speak to me at all. He even ostracized me when we were working."

"That bitch." Zayn curses.

Harry lets out a small laugh, looking at Zayn fondly for a moment before turning back to the road "Then I asked him for a double or nothing bet, which he said yes, but this time I bet him that I could make myself involved at the Sound Production Team, since everyone in our team knows that's my dream."

"What did he say?"

"He laughed at me and told me I was being delusional-"

"What a piss pot! A fucking twat! A load of horse crap!"

"-that I couldn't and wouldn't even get in." He continues, only smiling at Zayn's obvious hatred for Don "But what he doesn't know is that I have friends who works at that crew, and I know I was being a cheat, but desperate situations calls for desperate measures." He shrugs. "So, my friend at that crew let me edit the sound dialogue for an entire scene and they acted that they were wary of me at first to show Don that I was struggling so he wouldn't notice the scheme."

"So that's how you got the car." Zayn finishes.

Harry nods "I got the car, then I left, because I don't want to be stuck with Don. To be working for someone that gives me anxieties just because I refused his advances." He says "And because of that twat I was forced to leave my dream as well."

"Leaving doesn't mean quitting, Harry." Zayn says "You left to cut ties off with someone who is not healthy for your state of mind, but it doesn't mean you can't pursue your dreams again."

Harry smiles at him "I know."

Zayn smiles back until he realizes they're no longer in Endell road. "Where are we going?"

Harry frowns, clearly confused by Zayn's question "To my flat?"

"Yeah, well, we just passed Betterton." Zayn says as he points at the window.

He has never been into Harry's flat before. He only knows the name of Harry's street because Harry told him so the first night he gave Zayn a lift.

"Well, about that..." Harry trails off with an uncertain look "I actually live in Breton Highwalk."

"Up in CK Square?" Zayn questions "But that's so far!"

"Not really." Harry frowns "Only half an hour away from your flat when there's no traffic."

"But you said you live in Betterton."

Harry shrugs "I lied because if I told you where I actually live, you wouldn't let me give you a lift,"

"What.." Zayn gapes "What the hell, Harry?"

He wince "I know. I'm sorry for lying, but if I tell you that I live up in Cross Keys, I know that you'd refused a ride, and it was so cold that night and it looked like it was about to rain-"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes?"

"But my flat is a long detour from yours."

"Doesn't matter." He shrugs,

"Oh, God. I let you pick me up everyday for work when you're actually ten kilometers away from me! And, fuck, the times you went to my flat at three in the morning just because I couldn't sleep!" Zayn moans in disbelief.

"It was all right." Harry assures "I have a very efficient car, courtesy to the naked rat mole also known as Don." He jokes.

Zayn laughs at that, still surprised at how early Harry needs to wake just so he could picked Zayn up from the other side of their workplace.

"Oh, Harry." He groans, palming his head "How could I hate you now?"

"Please, don't." He whispers and when Zayn looks at him, he was biting his lips and gripping the steering wheel hard.

Zayn stares at him for a moment before letting his eyes wander to watch the buildings and shops they were passing by.

"Don't worry, I don't think I could ever." He mumbles.

***

"So, this is your flat." Zayn says once Harry opens the door.

"Yeah," He nods as he walks to the kitchen and starts opening the cupboards. "Do you want some tea?"

"Black, please."

"With milk and one sugar, yes?"

Zayn nods absentmindedly "I thought you said you have a flatmate?"

"He's in his room already."

"He's a law student, right?" Zayn asks. He heard a couple of stories about Harry's flatmate, and from those stories, Zayn could tell that Harry's really fond of him.

"Yeah, he's always busy because of that-"

"Harry, do you have an extra headphones?" A bloke, no older than Zayn, walks in with his laptop in hand. "Who's this?" He asks when he notices Zayn sitting on the kitchen stool.

Before Zayn can introduced himself, he sighs "Harry, are you kidding me?" He exclaims.

"What?"

"You haven't even moved on from Zayn yet and now you're bringing random blokes at the flat? Is this even healthy? Is this a rebound?"

Zayn stifles a laugh and when he looks at Harry, he could see a tint blush on his cheeks. Harry was about to say something, but the brown haired boy waves his hands off "Well, aren't you going to introduce us?"

Harry scowls at him "Zayn this is my flatmate, Liam, and Liam this is Zayn." Harry says, giving him a pointed look as he emphasizes Zayn's name.

At the introduction, Liam clasps his hand over his mouth "Oh, crap." He looks at Harry with wide eyes "Sorry, mate, I thought you brought a random bloke over."

"Well, I didn't, so if you could go back to your room now-"

"You're prettier than Harry described." Liam says, completely ignoring Harry "And I'm Liam, by the way. I've heard so much about you." He says, stretching his hands for Zayn to shake.

"'M Zayn, and I've heard plenty of you too." He smiles as he shakes Liam's hands. 

"Oh, woah, Harry wasn't kidding when he said your voice is so much like-"

"All right, Liam, you can go now." Harry interrupts as he pushes Liam towards the direction of his bedroom "And, yes, you can borrow my headphones as long as you don't leave your room."

"Why?" Liam asks "Are you going to have a kitchen sex, because if you do, I have a lube at the top drawer and condoms at the cupboard, and I'm only letting you do this because I know how much you miss Za-"

"Don't you have exams tomorrow?" Harry glares at him.

"All right, all right." Liam rolls his eyes before looking at Zayn "Bye, Zayn, it was such a pleasure to meet you, and I bet Harry would be in pleasure too tonight." He winks as Harry groans.

"Pleasure to meet you too, mate." Zayn smiles, and when Liam finally closes his bedroom door, he turns around to see Harry blushing.

"I'm sorry about Liam." Harry says when he made his way back to brewing Zayn's tea "He probably had too much coffee again."

"It's all right." Zayn shrugs "He's nice."

Harry smiles, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He sighs as he busies himself with tea.

"Honestly, Harry, is something the matter?" The worry in Zayn's voice made Harry look up and sigh in defeat.

"It's Gemma." He finally says.

Hearing Harry's sister's name was not what Zayn was expecting. He knows how Harry's really close to his sister. He had told him plenty of stories about his childhood and ninety percent of his stories involved Gemma. Maybe that's why there was an immediate flush of worry and panic rush into Zayn, because he knows how Harry cares for his sister so much, and if something bad happened to Gemma, Zayn doesn't know what it might do to Harry.

"Why? where is she? is she all right? is she sick? how is she?" Zayn was quick to grasp Harry's hands as if it would offer him some assurance, and in some ways it did.

"She's fine, I just had a chat with her this morning." Harry says as he stares at Zayn's hands that were clutching his'. "She was drunk." Harry chuckles "So she was crying about not finding her soulmate yet."

"Oh."

Harry nods as he starts playing with Zayn's fingers "I know it's stupid to be worrying over this-"

"It's not stupid." Zayn interjects "Anything that revolves around your sister is not stupid."

Harry snorts "Yeah, well, crying with her is stupid."

Zayn frowns.

"She's nearing her thirtieth birthday, and she hasn't found her soulmate, and it made her emotional because she was one of those people who would swim an ocean for their happy ending, you know?"

"Why did it made you cry?"

"Talking to her about her soulmate made me realize something." He frowns "That I found mine already yet I let go of him. That I was so near to him yet I didn't chased after him. I didn't know how lucky I was to even see him, until Gemma pointed out that at least I have glimpsed sunshine even for a moment."

"Oh."

"What if I never find him again, Zayn?"

Zayn bites his lips "You're soulmates, you're meant to find each other again. My mum told me that in every lifetime, you're drawn to each other and after you die you are reincarnated to find each other again and again and again."

"He kissed someone else when he saw me, if we're meant to be, won't he feel what I felt?"

"Maybe, he's a piss pot in this lifetime." Zayn smiles playfully, wanting to see Harry's frown disappear.

Harry laughs, and Zayn smiles at the sound because it's like music in his ears to hear Harry's joyous laugh.

"Stop making me smile." Harry flicks Zayn's hands "I'm trying to talk to you about my sister."

"Oh, right, sorry, sorry." Zayn mocks "Please don't let me hold you back on being sad."

"I'm serious, Zayn. It's just sad that I can't even comfort her."

"Harry, you did try."

"I should've tried harder." He moans and dips his forehead to Zayn's "I feel like shit."

"I know what you need." Zayn steps back and looks around.

"What?" Harry frowns, as his eyes follows Zayn's movement.

"Stand up." He orders as he pushes Harry from the stool.

"What about tea?"

"We have time." Zayn shrugs.

Harry can't help but laugh "What are you doing?" he asks when Zayn reaches for his phone and starts typing something on it.

"I realised," Zayn starts with a mischievous grin "That you're stress right now, and I remember something you've mentioned long ago."

"What?"

"That moving around helps you release stress."

Harry watches warily as Zayn puts the phone on the kitchen counter. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Zayn says, touching the screen then turning to face him.

La Vie En Rose starts playing and Harry rolls his eyes. "Really?"

"What?" Zayn says with mock horror. "It's the Michael Buble version."

"This is so cheesy," Harry tells him when Zayn walks back to where he's standing. "Like the cheesiest." He doesn't seem bothered, when Zayn pulls him into him. '"Thought you didn't dance?"

"I sway." Zayn grins as he takes Harry by the arms and pulls him closer.

They move around on the spot like a couple of teenagers at prom and Harry can't help but kisses Zayn on the lips then on his hair. Zayn presses his cheek to Harry's and closes his eyes in happiness.

And as if on cue, Buble croons; When you kiss me heaven sighs. And though I close my eyes I see la vie en rose.

***

Zayn's happy, and he could tell that Harry is as well. After spending a night at Harry's place, it feels like Zayn has found himself a second home, because eventually he finds himself sleeping on Harry's bed, using their bathroom for a shower, brewing his tea in their kitchen and watching in their Netflix account. And it was remarkable how Liam immediately grew fond of him and starts including him to all of his and Harry's plans.

And Zayn's never had a routine with someone before. It should horrify him, how easily he and Harry slipped into it, wordlessly dividing the chores between them without bickering or bargaining, as though they've been living together for years. Harry stacks the dishwasher and Zayn unstacks it. Harry cooks their dinner and Zayn sets up the table. Zayn goes to a convenient store for food and Harry comes in an hour later with the drink.

Everything in Zayn's life is going fine and he has been inseparable from Harry ever since the night of their reconciliation. And Harry is supposed to be with Zayn right now except for the fact that its Zayn's day off. So, Zayn was at home, lounging in his room while Harry's at the theater finishing his shift.

He was in the middle of watching a movie when his phone suddenly lights up.

_Harry: Are you home? :)_

_Zayn: Yeah, I'm watching Star Wars :)_

_Harry: Can I come? :) :)_

_Zayn: Only if u bring beer :) :) :)_

_Harry: Okie I'll drop by at the pub on my way there :) :) :) :)_

_Zayn: Stop with the smiley :(_

_Harry: Can't!! :) :) :) :) :)_

_Zayn: Why? :)_

_Harry: Cos I'll see you in a few min :) :) :) :) :) :)_

Zayn can't help but smile at the text. He quickly gets up from his bed where he was watching the third franchise of the Star Wars movie and went to the kitchen to start preparing a meal for the two of them. He didn't have the time to make a complex dish, because when Harry said he's going to come, Zayn knows it means he'll be here in any minute. So, Zayn decided to make an easy cheese mac and heat it in the oven.

As he waits for the food to heat, he was distracted by another chime on his phone.

_Harry: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :):) :):) :):):)_

Zayn smiles fondly, before heading to the living room and cleaning Louis' shit. A couple of minutes later, the mac and cheese is neatly prepared, plates and cups has been set, and the living room has been cleaned, Zayn walks to the door and opens it, checking if Harry's already at the end of the hallway, but the corridor was empty. Harry's probably running a little late. It's only been thirty-five minutes after all.

Zayn checks his phone again for any missed calls or texts from Harry, but there's none. He could still see the endless happy faces Harry sent, which made Zayn's lips twitch.

He sighs and settles on the couch that's facing the front door, so it doesn't look obvious every time he looks up when he hears a noise in the hallway. He doesn't want to seem too eager to see Harry, so he opens the television, and entertains himself with an animal documentary, keeping his phone close to him in case Harry calls.

*******

It was the knocking on the door that wakes Zayn up from his nap on the couch. He didn't mean to fall asleep, but watching the gazelle eat some grass isn't helping him keep himself awake. He looks at his phone and see that it's all ready 12 in the morning. It has been 5 hours since Harry sent his last text message.

There was another knock on the door, that made Zayn look up from his phone. Harry. Zayn immediately turns the television off and fixes his hair as he walks to the door.

He doesn't care that Harry's late, as long as he's fine and nothing happened to him, Zayn could live with him being tardy, but when he opens the door with a quick pull, his heart slowed when he sees it was only Louis.

"What's up with you?" Louis raises his eyebrows, making his way past Zayn and into the kitchen. "Aww, Zayn you made me mac and cheese? you shouldn't have." He hears Louis coos. Zayn rolls his eyes as he follows him into the kitchen.

He scowls when he sees Louis already devouring the food. When Louis sees the glare Zayn's sending him, he stops "This isn't for Harry, is it?" He asks through a mouth full of food "Is Harry coming over?"

At the question, Zayn sighs "No, just clean up after you're done." He says, going back to his room and leaving his phone on the couch.

*******

Harry didn't text him last night or the next morning when Zayn woke up for work. His last text was still the long string of smiley face.

Zayn's heart hiccup at the thought that something horrible happened to Harry. He exits his room and went straight to his phone to call Harry but stops when he sees the battery is dead.

Zayn pales, and now he can feel that something's truly wrong. It's something more than Harry not turning up at his flat. He doesn't know what to do, he can't call Harry because his phone is dead. He starts pacing around while fiddling with his fingers.

Something's wrong.

Something's wrong.

Something's wrong.

Harry wouldn't not just show up on him, especially not after sending those endearing texts. He promptly made his way to Louis' room and rummage through his bedside drawer.

"What are you doing, fucker?" Louis groans in his sleep when Zayn tugs on his drawer too loud.

"Where's your phone? I need your phone?"

"Don't you have one-"

"Louis!"

"Fuck, Zayn. It's only 7:30, give me a rest." He moans, pulling his pillow on top of his head.

"Jesus, Louis!"

"It's on my desk, twat." He whines "Don't bother me again."

Zayn made a run to his desk to get his phone then quickly made his way to his own room.

When Zayn finally opens the chat box between Harry and Louis, Zayn could only see a few messages that were exchanged by the two. He didn't bother reading them, instead he starts typing with trembling fingers.

**WHERE ARE YOU, FLAKER? CALL THIS PHONE ASAP! - Z**

He hit send and his fingers were quivering so much that he misspelled a lot of words. When the message was finally sent, Zayn waited for a minute and when there was still no answer. It's all Zayn can do not to collapse into a heap on the floor.

If something bad happened to Harry, Zayn will know, right? Someone would have called him. Someone would have informed him. Someone would have talked to him. But Zayn can feel an ominous feeling, his heart is restless and he's cursing at himself for having the nerve to go to sleep last night, when he should've been out looking for Harry and sending him endless messages till he answers.

He can feel his throat tightens when an endless possibilities of where Harry could be run through his head. He doesn't want to entertain those thoughts but having a heavy feeling in his heart was too hard to ignore.

He opens Louis' phone again and starts texting Liam.

IS HARRY WITH YOU? - ZAYN

Almost immediately, the phone lights up.

Liam: He didn't come home last night? Thought he was with you?

Zayn almost had a heart attack at the reply. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What happened to Harry? He can feel a tear forming in his eyes and he thinks he might faint from worry until the phone lights up again from another text from Liam.

**Go to the theater, Zayn. He's probably there. He has an early shift.**

Zayn almost collapsed at the reply. It wasn't the answer he was looking for, but he could look for Harry there as well. Zayn refused to give himself a time to dwell on what happened to Harry, he just wears the first thing he sees and runs out of the door and into the theater.

When he got there, he almost sobs from relief of seeing Harry.

"Harry, what the hell! You had me worried. I thought you were kidnapped or something! What happened last night?" Zayn can't help but scream when he saw him.

Harry looks at Zayn for a while and it looks like he has been up for a long time. As if he hadn't had a wink of sleep yet.

"What happened, Harry?" Zayn almost whispers, his heart is in his throat. He could feel the foreboding feeling coming back.

But before Harry could speak, a bloke with black hair, big teeth, and a pointed nose, approached them. "Hey, what's happening here? I could hear yelling."

Zayn almost snapped at him to mind his own business, but he was too fixated on Harry to even speak to the bloke.

"Zayn." Harry starts, and Zayn was alarmed when he sees Harry's eyes blur "This is Nick. My soulmate."

"What?" Zayn gasps.

"I found him, Zayn."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.

It has been a few days since Harry dropped the bombshell of finding his soulmate, and Zayn wants to cry because he doesn't know how the fuck this happened. One minute they were laughing and dancing to Buble and now Harry won't even look at him or speak to him for more than twenty seconds.

He stopped messaging Zayn with morning texts. He stopped giving him rides to and fro his flat. He stopped waiting for Zayn at the theater when he's held back to clean the rooms. He looks away when he notices Zayn hasn't eaten his lunch. He stopped giving a damn about Zayn, basically. 

Zayn should understand why Harry stopped, but the abrupt cessation of his interaction with Harry devastated him. He never thought that once Harry reunites with his soulmate that would also mean that he would stop talking to Zayn, and that probably hurts him the most.

"Phew, what died in here?" Louis says jokingly when he opens the door to Zayn's room.

"My heart." Zayn mumbles.

He wasn't sleeping, but he might as well do since he has been lying in his bed for hours, staring into nothing.

There was a pause until he felt a dip on his bed "Zayn, you should at least eat something."

"I've eaten." He points at the wafer on his bedside table

Zayn wasn't looking at Louis but he could imagine him roll his eyes "Something with protein."

"What's the point?" He asks melancholy. After a while he adds "You know you could say I told you so."

"I'm not going to say that, you twat." He sighs.

"I know that you don't like the idea of me and Harry."

"Well, I'm not surprised you knew, because I didn't do any shit to hide that fact." He snorts "And you know why I don't approve."

"Because he has soulmate." He answers "He has someone."

Louis made a frustrated noise "You have someone too." 

"You know I'll never have the chance of finding my soulmate."

"I'm not talking about your soulmate, fool." He scoffs and then softens "You know what I mean."

Zayn exhales "Of course."

"I wonder if your soulmate's looking for you."

"It would be easier if my soulmate just think I died or something, because there's no chance of us finding each other with my burned wrist."

Louis gives him a pity look "I'm sorry about that, mate. Truly, I am."

"It's not your fault, Louis."

Zayn knows Louis' not listening and he's still probably thinking about the fire at the school lab where Zayn's wrist got burned. Zayn knows that Louis still blames himself for what happened to this day.

"Have you talked to Jo?" He asks abruptly.

"About what?" Zayn scoffs.

"That means you haven't." He sighs "When was the last time you've talked?"

"I don't know, Louis." He says clearly frustrated "I can't think straight with Harry running on my mind." He groans. "And I know I shouldn't have gotten myself attached to him on the first place because finding his soulmate is inevitable."

"Zayn-"

"And thinking about him too much hurts my head."

"You have a headache because you haven't eaten properly." Louis scowls.

"I just don't feel like eating."

"Look, Zayn, I know you're hurting right now, but this shouldn't be a reason to starve yourself to death. He's nice, sweet and everything you're looking for, but you shouldn't feel dependent on someone so much, because frankly that's a horrible way to live, to feel like you're dying once he leaves." He says, and Zayn keeps quiet because he needs to hear this.

"Instead of keeping yourself in your goddamn room and feeling sorry for yourself, you should at least feel content that you felt what it's like to love someone so much that you forget every cruel thing that's happening on Earth. The way I see it, you should be happy you experienced it because not all people do." He huffs.

And Louis was right. He is. So, the next morning when he woke up, he took a full shower, shaved his beard, and cook his and Louis' breakfast. He wasn't completely fine but doing something like this was a start.

***

They weren't together for very long and everything ended abruptly, but when they were together, Zayn was granted a glimpse of a life in which his soulmate was just the same as him, and Zayn knew he could learn to move on at the sad ending that is Harry Styles just like he had learn how to lived when he found out his heart tattoo had burned. 

He knows he'll get over him soon enough. No need to make a big deal out of it. Even in a poor state, he forces himself to believe that in time he will move on.

He knows he will, because he has to.

He goes over his pep talk in his head like a mantra as his heart turns heavy and quickly fills with sadness as he make his way to work to where Harry is. Zayn isn't surprised when he sees Grimmy with Harry.

Grimmy that's his name. He introduced himself to Zayn with that calling because supposedly all of his friends call him that, and apparently he and Zayn are mates now. Who fucking knew!

Zayn shouldn't be bothered that Harry and Grimmy are spending most of their days with each other lately, because he knows how normal it is for two soulmates to be inseparable after their first meeting, which is ironic because every time Grimmy visits at the theater and hangs around, Harry would be locked at the employee's room, where authorized personnel could only enter.

Zayn hasn't had the chance of talking to Harry about everything or anything at the matter, because Grimmy sticks around like a leech. Zayn hasn't been relived even for a single day of not seeing that rodent's face.

So, when Grimmy was finally scolded by Paul for being at the theater so much but hasn't gone to watch a movie at their building yet, Grimmy was finally forced to depart from Harry to see a weird terrestrial movie in which an alien fell in love with a human, but not before giving Harry a peck on the lips which would probably make Zayn puke on his mouth and scratch his eyes out.

"So," Zayn starts when Grimmy finally entered the cinema room after waving at Harry despondently as if being apart from him for two fucking hours would kill him.

"So." Harry draws out awkwardly. They were on different ends of the concession stand. Ever since Grimmy happened there was like a line on the center of the stall that neither of them should cross. "Well, I found him." He chuckles humorlessly.

"You don't look happy." Zayn frowns but regrets pointing it out when Harry gave him a venomous look.

"I am happy." Harry snaps with a glare. "This is the happiest I have ever been." He growls in frustration.

"All right." Zayn exhales,

"I never thought that finding my soulmate would make me this happy." He comments with a tight lip but his face is contorted into frustration.

Zayn nods slowly "I believe you."

"As you should!" He hiss.

He nods "Well, how have you been?"

"As I said," He says folding his arms "Happy."

Zayn shakes his head as he looks at Harry then shifting his gaze on the floor "Have you guys done it?" He asks as casually as he can, even though his heart is hammering and his hands are shaking.

Harry went quiet at the question and when Zayn raises his eyes at him, he could see him blush. "I'm sorry for the inquisitive question." Zayn rushes "But was that why you didn't go to my flat that night, and why you weren't at yours too?" Zayn has to bite his lips when there was a hint of harshness in his tone.

Harry stares at him "Wait, how did you know I didn't come home that night?"

Zayn rubs his arms in an unsure manner "I called Liam. I'm sorry I was just worried."

"No, I'm sorry." He moans palming his head in frustration "I'm sorry I didn't called you or texted you. Fuck, you must be worried."

"Only a little." Zayn wince at the lie, because he was bursting a fucking blood vessel at the fact that Harry's not responding.

"Well, I'm sorry, nonetheless."

"It's all right." Zayn says. "Have you told your mum?"

"Yeah, she was ecstatic when she heard."

"How about Gemma? " He asks.

"She was glad I found him as well." He says "They're actually going here to meet him."

Zayn felt a chill at the news "Oh, so soon?" He says, he even tries to smile to mask what he's truly feeling.

Harry nods. "I'm actually excited because I haven't seen them since last summer."

"How did Grimmy reacted?"

"I haven't told him yet." He blushes.

"Why not?"

"I don't want him to freak out." He admits bashfully "I mean, we only met last week and I just want to...take it slow."

Zayn, who's genuinely confused, tilted his head "But he's your soulmate."

"I know." He says and if Zayn didn't know any better he almost looks anything but comfortable.

"Doesn't that mean that when you find your soulmate you automatically not take things slow, because you're just that damn happy?"

"Well, maybe it's different for everyone." He explains crucially "Maybe we're the type that falls in love slowly but surely." He says raking his hands up in his hair "And you know me, I take things slow."

Zayn laughs at that "Harry, you legit asked me if you could suck me off right after we talked about being fuck buddies."

"I was..." He gulps "I was in the moment." He explains lamely.

"Does he even know?"

"Know what?"

"About us?"

"No, of course not." Harry says promptly "I don't want him to feel weird when he's here."

"Oh..right, right, of course." Zayn stutters nervously.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, why won't I be?"

Harry frowns "No, I mean, are you all right with all of what's happening?"

Zayn smacks his lips together at the question "It was sudden."

"It was." Harry agrees as he plays with his fingers.

"Are you missing him?"

"W-what?" He stammers.

"You're playing with your fingers like that which usually means you can't stay still and you're thinking of someone so you want to hold on to something right now." Zayn answers "So you're missing him?"

Harry reddens "I suppose."

"Well, you'll see him in half an hour."

"Can't wait." Harry says, smiling too big and standing too stiff.

Zayn, still looking at Harry with a perplexed frown, shakes his head "Wait, you never told me."

"Told you what?"

"How you found him."

Harry frowns then closes his eyes at that "I was at the-"

"Harold." Someone exclaims in a sing-song manner which made Harry wince and Zayn scowls. When they both turn around they saw Grimmy with a coke in his hand, making his way towards them.

"I thought the movie won't be over for another forty minutes?" Zayn asks haughtily.

Grimmy gave him a lazy smile and shrugs "Well, I left in the middle of the movie because I miss my baby over here." He points at Harry as he reaches for Harry's lapel to bring their lips together.

And Zayn swears that he sees nothing but red when their lips touch. Something in him snaps and it's all he could do not to lunge forward and shoves Grimmy off Harry.

Zayn didn't know he was clenching his fist so hard that his whole body is shaking in anger until Grimmy pulled away and gives him a look.

"You all right there, bud?" He asks as he chases his straw with his mouth to get a sip on his drink.

"Peachy." He says through his teeth.

"So, what were you two talking about?" He asks as he rubs Harry's arms.

Zayn's chest heaves at the contact between him and Harry.

"Just asking Harry how you two found each other."

"Oh, baby, you're going to tell our first story." He sighs amazingly, turning to Harry with a clear smile. "I wanna know how you feel and what you thought when I approached you."

"Well-" Harry starts.

"Spare no details, baby." Grimmy hush him and once again bring their lips together.

But before they pull away from each other, Zayn was already turning around and leaving them alone, with the thought of punching Grimmy on the face.

*******

**(Rewind to THAT night)**

Harry was restless. He keeps looking at his watch as he counts down the minutes to when his shift will finally end. Zayn was not with him since it's his day off.

Harry drummed his fingers against the counter as his eyes keeps shifting from his watch to the empty theater room. Harry didn't know why he was so jittery tonight. He was usually able to stop himself from groaning at the slow pace of the clock, but restlessness permeates him and the feeling of annoyance is prominent just because he's missing something as he looks at the empty spot where Zayn's usually is.

So when Harry was finally dismissed, he didn't waste time to go to the employee's room to collect his stuff then went to Paul's office to log out and write the official time he left the premises. He was quick to climb into his car and send a quick text to Zayn.

_Harry: Are you home? :)_

He hit send, and when Zayn replies, he felt a tension leave his body. Harry will still deny that not having Zayn around was the reason why he was so antsy today.

_Zayn: Yeah, I'm watching Star Wars :)_

Harry smiles because he misses Zayn. Throughout the whole day, all he thinks about is the curve of Zayn's jaw and the patch of skin just beneath his left ear where he has a small freckle.

When Harry was at work and his eyes drifts off into space, all he sees is Zayn's face, the smile he gives, and the look in his eyes that has Harry groaning.

_Harry: Can I come? :) :)_

Harry waits for Zayn's answer with a fixated gaze. He sighs in relief when Zayn finally responds as if Zayn's text message was the answer to all of his prayer.

_Zayn: Only if u bring beer :) : ) :)_

_Harry: Okie I'll drop by at the pub on my way there :) :) :) :)_

Harry smiles. He'll bring a beer for Zayn, all right. Anything Zayn asks he'll bring it over to him. Anything he wants, Harry will give. Anything. Anything. Anything. Harry grips his phone tighter when his hands start to tremble at that thought, because he'd probably do anything for that gorgeous boy. Zayn got Harry wrapped around his finger and he doesn't even know.

Zayn is so clueless.

_Zayn. Zayn. Zayn._

Fuck, all Harry can think about the whole day was him, and his beautiful tangled black hair and his honey like eyes. His elegant cheekbones, full mouth, and long, thick lashes. Even the curve of his throat is perfect.

Harry never thought of anyone like that, not in this way that brought blood to his face and tightened his chest. He doesn't want more than anything else to touch Zayn, to feel his hair, to see if his lips are still as soft as they look or if his neck would still glisten with saliva if he licks him. To put his cheek against his' and feel his eyelashes brush his skin.

_Zayn: Stop with the smiley :(_

_Harry: Can't!! :) :) :) :) :)_

_Zayn: Why? :)_

_Harry: Cos I'll see you in a few min :) :) :) :) :) :)_

Harry can't help but smile as his mind drifts off to Zayn again. He quickly drives to the pub, wanting to be at the flat as soon as possible to see the enchanting bloke. Harry admits that he did nothing else but think about Zayn. If he wouldn't get his lips on that boy in the next five minutes he'd think he'll go ballistic. So, when Harry got into the pub, he ordered a bucket of beer for take out and some fish and chips.

Harry, unable to help himself, sent another text to Zayn again as he waits for his order to be served.

_Harry: :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)_

Harry doesn't know why he misses Zayn like crazy, but his heart and mind is literally screaming Zayn's name right now. And if Harry doesn't know any better, even every organ in his body probably has Zayn's name etched into it, which scares Harry when the thought of it doesn't even frighten him.

Zayn was the only thing on his mind and he can't help but smile into thin air, and from someone else's point of view, Harry must look like a mad man who's staring into nothing yet smiling as if he won a lottery. And in some ways, Harry feels he did.

An image of Zayn pops into his mind again, and he looks so good in that memory that Harry wanted nothing else but to bend him over right now and fuck him while he interlocks their fingers and caress his face with light, gentle kisses.

He was so gone at the thought of Zayn that his whole mind and every fiber of his fucking being is singing Zayn's name right now. He was completely drunk on the thought of him. He can't wait to be against him, beside him, on top of him, he can't think of anything other than the taste of him, his smell, his voice, just him in general.

Zayn, Zayn, Zayn, Zayn

"Oh my God!" The girl beside Harry shrieks and when Harry looks at her. She was looking at him with her hand covering her mouth in awe while her other hand is pointing at him.

"What?" Harry asks, suddenly alarmed.

"Your tattoo!" The girl shrieks again.

A bloke who's clearly with the girl gave Harry a look "Your tattoo is glowing, mate."

"Your soulmate is here!" The girl says with a huge smile. "Oh my God, Darren, we're about to witness two soulmates meeting each other again." The girl says turning to the bloke beside her and wrapping her arms around him.

"It means we're going to be together forever." She giggles as she kisses him. Darren did nothing but smile against her lips and wraps his hands on her waist as both of their tattoo glows.

Harry swallows and looks down on his wrist, and gasp because Harry has never seen his wrist glow this ostentatiously.

Why is it so red? How come it's glowing this obtrusive?

Then a thought occurs to Harry. He's here. He's soulmate is here. He was quick to stand up from his languid position, suddenly alert. He didn't know what it was but a sudden heavy feeling settled against him. His face paled, his hands shake, his eyes wide, and his spine fucking shivered. He was suddenly reminded of the time when he was younger and his mother caught him stealing from the cookie jar. He can still remember the fear that swept over him, the worry that overwhelms him. Then he realized he is feeling now what he felt that time; dread.

Harry almost passed out at a sudden revelation, he doesn't want to meet his soulmate yet. He only wants Zayn.

"Excuse me." An unfamiliar voice says and when Harry looks over at the source of the voice, he saw him smile, then Harry thinks that he might passed out from his next words "I saw you over here and I just want to say..." Harry doesn't need him to complete his sentence because he all ready has a suspicion of what this bloke's about to say.

"You're my soulmate."

They both at say at the same time.

The bloke guffaws at that, clearly pleased Harry finished his sentence correctly "You felt it too, huh?"

Harry, not knowing what to say or how to react, stares at him dumbly.

"Oh, God, I finally met my soulmate!" He exclaims before turning to the whole bar and climbing on top of the fucking stool "I found my soulmate!" He screams with a wide grin "And we finished each others' sentences!" He shouts as he points at Harry. The whole pub rejoice at that and everyone offered them congratulations and I'm happy for you greetings.

Even the bartender congratulates them and gave them free drinks.

His soulmate smiles and says cheers to every people that talks to them and treats them with drinks as a way to congratulate them. Harry stands besides his soulmate, unable to think clearly with the way people are crowding them.

Once the compliments and the remarks from strangers ceased, and people were only sending them smiles from afar, was the only time his soulmate turned to him and ask him for his name.

"Ha-Harry." He stutters "My name's Harry. Harry Styles."

"Nick." He says. Harry reviews his profile carefully. He wasn't that bad looking at all. He has a black hair that Harry knows he'll grow to love. Glassy blue eyes, pointed nose, and a strong build. "Nick Grimshaw." He says "But my mates call me Grimmy."

Harry nods at that, still dumbstruck that he finally met his soulmate in this bar again.

Harry, feeling a million of emotions right now, can feel his head pound and his heart hammer. He gulps and his hands twitch, but Grimmy didn't notice he was too busy staring at Harry's lips. Harry immediately thought of Zayn, because if Zayn sees Harry twitching, he would grab Harry's fingers and bring them over to his mouth and kiss his knuckles one by one with his eyes locked into Harry's then he would ask him what's wrong.

"Do y-you remember me?" Harry asks, wanting to know if Grimmy remembers the night they met.

"Huh?" He asks over the loud sound of music.

"We met before." Harry admits anxiously "I mean, I don't know if you saw me, but I saw you."

Grimmy's eyes widen "Really? When?"

"In this pub, last April 22." He says, but when Grimmy still looks at him as if Harry was asking the most complicated question, he sighs "You probably didn't see me."

"Last April 22, huh?" He hums absentmindedly with a grimace on his face.

"Y-yeah." Harry coughs.

"Baby, I've never seen you before, because if I did I would've went to you instantly. We would have been together for three months now if I've seen you." He says and he sounds genuine that Harry looks at him from under his lashes.

"You were kissing someone that night."

"I was?" He ask. "I didn't know. I was probably drunk that night." He shrugs. "Was that why you didn't approached me?" Grimmy asks

Harry nods.

"So, your tattoo has been red for three months now?"

"Yes." Harry says tightly as he looks at Grimmy's own wrist. It was red and looks like it has been shaded just now.

Grimmy went quiet for a minute before looking at Harry with a fond smile "It's all right, at least you found me now."

"You found me." Harry corrects tightly as if he's accusing him of something bad.

He chuckles "Doesn't matter who found who, what's important is that the universe helped us find each other, and this just proves that we're destined to be together." He chuckles before gripping Harry's hips.

Harry gulps "So, how did you know I was your soulmate?"

Grimmy grins "I was standing there, and then I saw you. You looked so fit, I couldn't help myself but to go over to you then the next thing I know my tattoo was shaded."

"Oh." Harry says with a frown, because his soulmate is narrating how he knows Harry was his match but Harry's thinking of another bloke and that's just unfair, to be thinking of Zayn when he's only been with his soulmate for a few minutes.

Zayn with his beautiful hair that Harry wants to touch and his eyes that Harry wants to stare at until he falls asleep. Zayn with his sweet, kind personality and his eyes that always sparkles when he smiles and his midnight laugh that leaves Harry breathless-

"Oh!" Grimmy exclaims happily "Your tattoo is glowing again." He smiles before grasping Harry's neck and pulling his face to his'. Then the next thing he knows is that Grimmy's kissing him.

Harry lets Grimmy have at him for five seconds before he's pushing him off with a small smile. "How about you tell me about yourself so we'll know everything about each other?" Harry suggested.

Grimmy smiles and leads Harry to sit at a two person table far from the music system then ordered both of them some alcohol and snacks.

From what Harry learned, Grimmy grew up in Oldham, Great Manchester. He attended the University of Liverpool, and he was born on August 14. He's currently an intern in BBC Radio 1 and he has met Rihanna, who accidentally spilled her coffee on his shirt, which he consider it to be the peak of his career. 

And that was it, Harry was too plastered to follow whatever else he's saying.

Harry didn't know how long they've been sitting on this table and how many drinks they've ordered, he only knows that it's morning and they're the only ones left at the pub save for a group of friends, who were all too belligerent to leave or to even stand up from their table.

"What time is it?" Harry groans, his head was spinning a little and he found himself unable to speak coherently. His mouth is dehydrated and his skin is glistening with sweat. Harry doesn't want to admit it, but he had too much drink tonight. He finished three bottles of beer by himself and ordered two more cocktails. During his conversation with Grimmy, he was too piss to actually focus on what his soulmate is saying.

"It's three in the morning. We should go home, huh?" He grins at Harry, who only moans in response. When Harry tried to stand up, his feet wobbles. He laughs when Grimmy has to catch him so he wouldn't crash on the table.

"Whoops." Harry laughs, obviously so out of it. Grimmy laughs with him as he puts Harry's arm around his neck so that he can support Harry as they made their way out of the pub. Harry was taller than Grimmy, and with the older bloke carrying half of Harry's weight, he could only see the top of Grimmy's head, which means black, tousled hair is the only thing Harry can see when he looks down.

Harry laughs again "Oh, Z!" He exclaims with a joyous grin, his head bending backwards "My boy." He smiles, ruffling Zayn's hair. "My beautiful boy."

Zayn laughs "You're so drunk."

"Mhmm." Harry nuzzles his head on Zayn's neck, gripping on him tighter. When he lets go for a moment on Zayn's back, he laughs. "Look, baby, I have fingers."

"That's great, Harry." Harry could hear the smile on Zayn's tone.

"You have fingers too!" Harry exclaims, gripping Zayn's fingers. "That means we could get married."

"You want to marry me?" Zayn teases with a chuckle, but Harry didn't laugh.

"Yes." Harry says in all seriousness. 

Zayn laughs "Easy there we've only known each other for a short while."

"I know and I love you so much already."

"Really?" He sounds pleased. 

"Marry me." Harry says dreamily. 

Zayn lets out a chuckle "Soon, darling." Then when Harry's carrier turns around to look at him, he sees it was Grimmy who was holding him instead. And when Grimmy puckers his lips to kiss him, that was when he passed out, but not before mumbling another boy's name.

*******

Grimmy.

That's all Zayn hears from Harry lately, and every time he's at the theater, Grimmy is the only one he can focus on with the way he holds onto Harry and shove his tongue down Harry's throat as if it's his last dying breath.

How can this twat be Harry's soulmate? Zayn finds himself frequently asking that question, because he couldn't fathom the fact that this dull twat, who wouldn't let Harry out of his sight for more than a minute and who doesn't appreciate Harry's taste in movies, is indeed someone's soulmate.

It's ridiculous how Zayn hates him so much. He could feel his toes curl and his fingers balled into fist every time he talks. Zayn was so full of him that he was on the brink of having Paul ban Grimmy from entering the theater.

He's even actually contemplating to have Paul move him to the ticket booth so he could be with Mitch and Mira instead. He even thought that he'd rather be a ticket collector, just so he can escape the loud cooing of Grimmy into Harry's ears and his latching hands into Harry's arms.

He despise seeing them together, Zayn cannot grasp how Harry fell in love with that twat. He cannot believe the amount of times he wasted thinking of what they're doing. He even believes he's going mental with the number of times he thought of them. He knows he's thinking of them so much that it's not healthy for him anymore. So, when the weekend finally arrived and Zayn was off duty at the theater, he decided to have a quiet day wherein he'll try as he might to have a peaceful mind by trying to forget their existence.

He coax Louis to buy them joint and weed just so he could detached himself from his chaotic mind even for a short moment. He had it all planned out, Louis buys the weed and Zayn orders their food then they would spend their whole day smoking and eating.

It was obvious that he's trying so hard to have this day a good one, when he made his way all over to Cranbourn Square just to order a take out in his favorite restaurant. He was standing outside, leaning against the wall with a cigarette on his hand as he waits for his food to be prepared. It was too cold inside and he doesn't think he can stay still waiting for the food in there with nothing else to do but pretend he's on the phone so he wouldn't look completely alone.

When he finishes his cig, he threw it on the floor and stomps on it till the smoke went out. He went inside to grab his order and that was when he spotted Harry at a table near the window. His breath falters and he has to take a double look to see if he's imagining him or not, and when he blinks the second time and Harry's still there, he has to stop himself from groaning, because if Harry's here then Grimmy is just close behind.

He slouches down a little and tilted his head to the side, a feeble attempt to hide from Harry. He quickly made his way out of the restaurant when he finally got his order. He sighs in relief that he didn't get caught, this is probably the first time he didn't want to see Harry or do anything conspicuous for Harry's attention.

"Oh, crap." A feminine voice curse not too far away from him. When Zayn looks up, he saw a woman carrying multiple scrapbooks. Zayn doesn't want to be an arsehole and she was clearly struggling, so before he knows it, he's making his way towards the woman and catching the book that was about to fall off.

"Oh, shoot!" The woman curses as he lunges forward in time to catch it. He almost doesn't, the book was heavier than he expected, but he manages to hold on.

"Here, let me help you." Zayn says, giving her the warmest smile he could master so she wouldn't think he'll rob her.

"Oh, many thanks, lad." She smiles as she transfers half of the burden to Zayn's hands. On one hand he was holding the woman's books and on the other was his take out.

"Where are you heading?"

"Merlon's" She says as she coos at Zayn for being such a sweet boy, but Zayn stops listening when she mentioned the restaurant, because he doesn't want to go back to where Harry is.

"Are you all right, darling?" She asks when she notices that he stopped walking "Oh, I'm not bothering you, am I?" She fusses, resting her palm on her chest, obviously worried.

Zayn doesn't know why, but something about her makes him want to help. "No, I got it." He smiles "Don't worry."

"Oh, good, because I don't know how long I'll be able to carry this. I don't want to enter the restaurant then have this books fall on me." She laughs.

"What are these for anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" He asks.

"It's a baby album and scrapbooks of my kids." The woman says excitedly "My husband told me not to bring these over, but I can't help it! This would be the first time in months I'm about to have a lunch with my children."

"Why?"

"My husband and I live in Manchester, and my darling daughter lives in Southampton, and one of my sons lives in Briston and the other one lives here."

Zayn wince "That must be difficult." He says, his thoughts instantly going to his mum who could probably relate to this woman.

"It is. I'm just glad that my youngest already found his beloved so my husband and I has an excuse to go here."

"What is it like to have your kids live so far away?" He frowns because he misses his mother very much and he wants to know what it's like for Tricia.

"As a mother, it's difficult." She sniffs, tearing up a bit "I miss them so much. We're only complete when it's Christmas, but they weren't able to come home last holiday so I wonder if they miss me too."

Zayn gives her a small smile "They do, trust me. As a son who's living far away from home, I miss my mother very much. I'm such a momma's boy so I couldn't even fall asleep half of the time without hearing my mum's voice first."

The woman smiles at him "Your mother probably couldn't sleep either without you telling her about your day."

"Is that how all mothers are?" He asks as the woman opens the restaurant door for him.

"Of course! I have to call my children one by one and bombard them with endless questions of what they've done the entire day and what they want to do the next day."

Zayn laughs "My mum does that too."

"Oh, look!" The woman says after her eyes scanned the restaurant for her family "There they are!" She points at a table on the far corner. When Zayn looks up at where she's pointing, he froze, because he didn't know that the woman he's been talking to all along was Harry's mum.

Anne quickly made her way towards the table where Harry and a pretty looking girl, who has an uncanny resemblance to Anne, are seated. They were quick to stand up and hug their mother, who almost cry out of joy of seeing her children. Zayn begins to have the sense of intruding so he looks away and discreetly hid his face behind the books he's still carrying. He still doesn't want Harry to see him, he just hopes Harry's too distracted to notice him.

"Look what I bought you!" Anne says, once her children lets go of her, but stops when she notices Zayn as if she forgot about him for a moment. She instantly smiles "Oh, I met this nice lad. He went to helped me carry all of this scrapbooks and photo albums. Such a nice boy!" She grins before pinching his cheeks in clear affection for Zayn.

"Mum, I told you not to bring those!" Gemma groans, throwing her hands in the air.

When Zayn shyly looks up at Harry, he saw him frozen on the spot staring at Zayn as if he's grown a second head.

"Oh, hush, you." Anne says to Gemma with a pointed stare that all mums use on their children "This lad just helped me carry all of this. He's such a sweet pie." She squeezed Zayn's arms before turning to him "Darling, if you're interested in dating, my daughter is single." She winks.

"Mum!" Harry and Gemma both exclaims at the same time.

"What?" Anne turns to her son, clearly confused of his reaction when Gemma's the one she's teasing.

"That's Zayn." He says through gritted teeth, clearly annoyed.

His mum instantly lets go of Zayn's arm and brought her hand to cover her mouth, obviously shock at the new information.

Anne turns to Zayn with a stunned expression "You're Zayn?" When Zayn nods, she instantly pulls him for a hug, which was awkward since his hands were still full. Zayn was taller than Anne so she has to stand on her tiptoes to reach him.

When he looks up, he saw Harry with an embarrassed expression and Gemma was looking confused until she looks at Harry for guidance. "Zayn?" She asks then after a moment she made an 'oh' sound as if she was hit by a sudden revelation "Oh, Zayn!" She exclaims as if she only remembers now then she turns to Harry "The one from Bradford who smells like strawberries and cigarettes. " She whispers not so quietly with a teasing grin.

"Oh, Zayn, I'm so glad I finally met you!" Anne says pulling away a bit, but keeping her hands on his shoulder. "Oh, what are you still doing with those books?" She frowns before snapping her fingers to her children "Harry, Gemma, take these." She takes the books from Zayn's hands and unceremoniously drops them on her children's hands.

"Geez, mum, we missed you too." Harry groans with a disbelief look.

Anne didn't even spare him a glance "Oh, please I've already hugged you." She then smiles at Zayn, keeping her hands on his shoulders "I can't believe how nice you are. Harry is so lucky to meet such a gentleman. I've heard so many stories about you and you don't know how happy you've made my baby boy. You don't know how many nights I've been woken up by him just because he needs to talk about y-"

"Mum!" Harry stammers, his eyes wide in mortification, and he looks like he was about to passed out.

Zayn stares at Anne with wide eyes, confused and agitated by her words, until he realized that she's probably mistaken Zayn for Grimmy. "Oh, I'm not Grimmy. I'm not his soulmate-"

Just then a figure entered Zayn's peripherals and when he turns around he saw it was Grimmy. He immediately stiffens.

"I'm so sorry, I'm late-" He freezes when he saw Zayn being pampered by Anne. He blushes because he doesn't want Grimmy to think of him badly, not like he cares of him, but still, this lunch was meant for Grimmy to be finally introduced to Harry's family and Zayn doesn't want to be an arse and steal that moment from him to be finally introduced as his soulmate.

Harry was quick to stand beside him "Mum, Gem, this is Grimmy- I mean Nick." he says, clearing his throat.

Anne smiles at him "Nick! Harry's soulmate." She exclaims as she stretches her hand to him.

Grimmy was quick to put on a charming smile on his face and shake Anne's hands "You look as lovely as Harry mentioned, maybe even more." He flashes her a charismatic smile.

"Oh, I like him all ready, Harry." Anne giggles as she looks at Harry, who smiles nervously.

"How about let's all seat down?" Harry suggested, clapping his hands together. They all made a grab for their chair and settles themselves down on a four table seat.

Zayn, still standing there, blushes when they all turned to him with a confused look while Grimmy gives him an unamused frown.

"Oh, sorry!" He flushes when he realizes he's intruding. Fuck, this is just plain embarrassing. Fucking great.

"Okay?" Grimmy raises his eyebrows when Zayn didn't' make a move to leave.

"Oh, right, sorry!" He gulps before turning around to walk away.

"Wait," A voice says, when Zayn looks back he saw Anne with a confused look "Where are you going, darling?"

"H-home?" Zayn says, his eyes drifting to the door. Oh, how he fucking wants to go home. He doesn't want to feel like a trespasser anymore.

"Nonsense!" Anne says "Join us, darling." She beckons for Zayn to come. Grimmy frowns at Anne's request before looking at Zayn with a stoic look.

"I..I probably should go." He says timidly, pointing at the door with his thumb.

"Are you sure?" Grimmy asks, his eyebrows furrow in concern, but Zayn could tell that his tone and expression were too exaggerated to be real.

"Yes." Zayn says tightly, looking at Grimmy dead in the eyes.

Gemma frowns "But we're only here for two days, this is probably the only time we'll get to know you."

"Gemma's right. You should stay with us, love." Anne says, calling a waiter for another chair.

"Umm..." Zayn swallows because he literally doesn't know what to do. He looks at Harry, internally asking if it's all right to follow his family's wish. Harry turns away, not wanting to meet Zayn's eyes.

"I'm sure Harry would want you to be here." Anne says carefully "He has been wanting us to meet you for months." She smiles, not noticing Grimmy's frown.

"Mum!" Harry blushes, still avoiding an eye contact with Zayn.

Anne ignores Harry's embarrassed tone "It'd be a joy to finally get to know you." She says gently "And Grimmy too!" She adds with a soft smile to Grimmy.

"Yeah, it's like hitting two birds with one stone." Gemma agrees with a grin.

"Well, I wouldn't want to impose." Zayn says meekly, clearly uncomfortable that he has all eyes on him.

"Nonsense! Harry told me lots about you and I'm sure he'd love to have you here."

"Mum, stop." Harry gives her a warning look.

"Wouldn't you, sweetie?"

Harry, looking embarrassed, speaks through his gritted teeth. "I would, but just don't make him sit here if he doesn't want to. I don't want him to feel obligated." He says, looking away quickly.

"Well, Zayn?" Gemma asks.

He inhales deeply before nodding "Thank you for inviting me. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you all." He smiles warmly, pointedly not looking at Grimmy and Harry.

Gemma situated the extra chair, given by the waiter, on the head of the table, on his right side is Gemma and on the left is Anne. Harry was sitting next to Gemma and across from him is Grimmy, who's next to Anne.

"We never met properly." She smiles once Zayn has seated "I'm Gemma, and you don't have to introduce yourself, because I already know. You're Zayn, the one who can't go to bed without a cup of tea."

Zayn gave her a stunned look and when he saw her sneaking a look at Harry, he bite his lips.

"Gemma." Harry glares at her, hissing her name to belt up.

Gemma ignores him, giving her full attention on Zayn, who only smiles at her. "And you're Gemma, the one who likes causing trouble up in hotel rooms."

At that, Gemma burst out laughing. "Harry told you that?" She shrieks before turning to her brother "Cannot believe you, Haz. I told you that was one time."

Harry rolls his eyes before smiling at her fondly.

"So, where's Mr. Twist?" Zayn asks politely.

"Oh, my husband is feeling poor today. I'm afraid he can't come but he said that he'll definitely come with us for dinner."

"How about Mike?" Gemma asks as she opens her menu.

"Your brother is tending to Robin, darling." Anne says, copying Gemma's movements, before turning to Zayn "Oh, and please just call us Robin and Anne, Zayn."

Zayn looks uncertain but nods with a small smile.

"Is Mr.Twist- I mean Robin, sorry." Zayn flushes when Anne gave him a pointed look "Is Robin feeling under the weather, because of his arthritis?" He asks, the redness on his cheek gets prominent with every second "Harry once mentioned about his dad's trouble getting up in the morning because of his stiff legs and I'm just worried, not like I have any right, but erm..I heard exercising helps, and he should take Analgesics medicine, I have some Tylenol and Percocet if you ran out, I could always give it to you, erm let's see, what else helps." He rambles "Heating pads and ice packs helps, doing yoga or Tai chi could also improve the flexibility of Mr. Twist's joints. I know a yoga instructor and I could call her so she could help too-" He stops when he notice they were all staring at him, he feels himself sweat. "Oh, crap, I'm sorry I didn't mean to cross any line-"

"No, honey." Anne shakes her head as she touches his hand in assurance "It's just that we didn't expect anyone to be this worried about Robin and you don't even know him."

"Knowing he's Harry's dad is enough."

Anne smiles, delighted with his answer. "Are you sure you don't want to date any of my children?"

"Mum." Harry groans at the same time Gemma raises her hands "I'm available." She says which earns her a kick on her knees from Harry.

"I was joking." She rolls her eyes. "How did you even know the treatment for arthritis?"

"Well, it's Harry's dad so I took the liberty to Google it." He admits meekly "I was just worried so I did a research so I'd...know." He finishes lamely and when his eyes flicks to Harry, he looks stunned and softened by Zayn's words.

"Zayn." Harry says breathlessly as if he just ran up a flight of stairs.

His eyes were twinkling, and Zayn knows that look. He has seen it on Harry so many times, like when he would suck Zayn on his knees and he would look up at him and stare at Zayn as if he's the prettiest sight on Earth.

"Oh, Harry!" Gemma exclaims "Your tattoo is glowing." Everyone's attention shifted to Harry's wrist and true enough it's glowing. Zayn has seen Harry's tattoo glow so many times when they were fooling around, so he wasn't as amazed as Anne, Gemma , and Grimmy are.

"Oh, my baby." Anne coos "You've grown so much, and you've found your soulmate, I couldn't be happier for you and Grimmy, my love."

"Thanks mum." Harry says "We couldn't be...happier as well." He says after a pause then reaching for Grimmy's hands.

"How did you managed to find each other, anyway?" Gemma asks leaning closer to Harry.

"Well, it wasn't easy for us." Grimmy says "Harry found me first but we got separated, it was only after three months that we found each other on the same place again." He says, squeezing Harry's hand "Isn't that right, baby?"

"Oh, that's romantic." Gemma smiles "You're the living proof that soulmates always find their way back to each other."

"We are." Grimmy beams happily "We pride ourselves on that fact."

"That's beautiful." Anne says, giving Harry a long look before smiling softly at Grimmy.

"How about you, Zayn?" Gemma asks turning to Zayn. "Do you have anyone special?"

Zayn stiffens at the question "Oh, umm..." He stammers.

"If you haven't, I'm still here." She grins playfully.

"Gemma!" Anne chastises her daughter before gazing at Harry for a second.

"I was joking." Gemma says "I don't have a death wish." She tilts her head towards Harry's direction, who only casts her an annoyed look.

"Look, darling, I don't think you won't have any trouble finding anyone to love you, because as I have heard from Harry you're a nice, sweet lad and from what I witnessed today, anyone would be so lucky to have you." Anne says.

"T-thank you." Zayn fumbles.

"Have you ever had anyone special, then?" Grimmy asks, and the fact that it was him who asked made Harry and Zayn rigid. "I mean, someone as attractive as you must have." When Zayn didn't answer, he pushes on "How about the last person you had a relationship with or the last person you spent your time with?" He asks pointedly.

"Well.." Zayn starts when he realizes that Grimmy won't leave him be "Her name's Margaery. She was my last in everything."

"Did you love her?" Grimmy pushes on.

"I supposed yes." He says through gritted teeth.

"Do you love someone else?" He asks "Or have you loved anyone else after her?" At the distance he sees Harry looks at him from under his lashes.

"No." Zayn says because he won''t have Grimmy bait him into revealing anything about him and Harry. 

From his peripherals, he saw Harry's shoulders sag and his hands trembling.

"That's sweet." Gemma comments in an awkward tone, before gazing at her mum with a look that practically screams 'change the subject.'

"Who wants to see pictures of Gemma and Harry!" Anne practically exclaims after sensing the tension in the air.

For the rest of their meal, Gemma's attention was on Zayn, while Anne is fixated on Grimmy and Harry, asking them of their stories and advetures so far as a couple.

Grimmy was more than glad to have Anne's attention on him. Harry's fixation may look like it was with his mum and his soulmate's conversation, but it was truly with Zayn and Gemma's bickering over the sound of American accents just because two Americans passed by their table a while ago.

"Yeah, babe?" Grimmy says turning to Harry.

"Hmm?" Harry hums turning to Grimmy, who's looking at him expectantly.

"I have to go now, remember?" He says, and Harry nods remembering that Grimmy has a late afternoon shift at the BBC.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Harry says, distractedly. Grimmy leans down to peck Harry on the lips, and it was a relief that kissing Grimmy now doesn't feel so much like a work after days of doing it. He finally got used to kissing him without thinking of someone else and it eases Harry's heart a little.

Grimmy made his way to Anne and kisses her on the cheeks then to Gemma who he gives a hug. It didn't come unnoticed that he studiously ignored Zayn.

When it was blatant that it was only the four of them left, Gemma smiles slightly, looking at his brother with mischief in her eyes.

"So, mum." She says, flipping her hair "You mentioned something about a shop that sells a really nice dress that I would undoubtedly love."

"Oh, yeah." Anne says, unaware of her daughter's motives. "It's just around the corner. I'll bet you'll like the shop. It sells the cutest things."

"Maybe, we should check it out now."

"Now?" Anne's eyes crinkles in cofusion.

"Yes." Gemma says tightly. "We should have an alone time as a mother and daughter."

"But Harry-"

"Is more than capable of taking care of himself. He lives here, mum."

"Fine." Anne relents before standing up and kissing Zayn and Harry both on the cheeks. Gemma was quick to pull her mother out of the restaurant, until it was only Harry and Zayn left at the table.

When it was just him and Harry left at the restaurant, it was like a giant bubble was burst. Zayn doesn't need to watch his tongue or be careful on what he says, and Harry doesn't need to be timid and be hesitant to look at Zayn now that they don't have company to be wary of.

They were talking and bickering over the pronunciation of tomato, just because Zayn said to-mah-to which had Harry spurt out his drink as if it was poisoned. Apparently, pronunciation is one of the things they'll dispute about so passionately.

They were arguing about the pronunciation of neither and either, and it was infuriating Zayn so much that he can't even count how many times he'd rolled his eyes on Harry.

"That is so wrong!"

"You're wrong." Zayn rebukes.

"Excuse me." An old woman from the next table interrupts. "Are all of your arguments like this because we heard you earlier fighting over the right way to say 'caramel'?"

"Ha!" Zayn exclaims, turning to Harry with wide eyes and pointing at him with so much accusation "She said car-mel."

"It's ca-ra-mel." Harry moans, slapping his hands over his forehead.

"Someone already said it."

"Then why would they put the A in between the R and M?"

"To challenge your intellectual whim, you noob." Zayn scoffs.

"Fine you know what, I won't ever say the word ca-ra-mel ever again-"

"It's car-mel."

"If I'm going to order a ca-ra-mel yogurt, I would just say the dark yellow yogurt please."

"And risk your chance getting served with a mango yogurt?"

Harry cringes "I honestly can't believe some people like having fruits as a flavor of their dessert."

"What's wrong with it?" Zayn asks completely aghast.

"It's like they also want pineapples on their pizza."

"Pineapples on pizzas are delicious."

"Yeah, if you're broke and can't afford to eat something decent."

Zayn lets out a hollow laugh "I can't believe you!"

"Excuse me, but are you still debating on pronunciation?" The same woman interjects again.

"No, miss, I'm just explaining to him how pineapples don't work on pizzas." He rolls his eyes on Zayn, who scowls.

"See, Arnold!" The woman shrieks turning to her husband "Why can't we fight on stupid stuff like this?" She slaps him on his arms before turning to them "These are the cute things couples fight about, right?."

Harry immediately flushes "Oh, we're not a couple."

"Oh?" The woman raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Sorry, I just thought I saw your tattoo glowed when you were looking at him."

Harry gapes "Oh, it must be the trick of the light."

The woman looks uncertain and doubtful but nods nonetheless, before going back to her husband, who started eating her meal.

"We should go, yeah?" Harry uncomfortably says when he caught Zayn sneaking a look at his tattoo.

"Yeah, I should get back. Louis was expecting me at the flat two hours ago." He says with a frown when he realizes that Louis must have finished all the blunt by now and must be off the fucking roof. He scowls because he was planning to be the one who gets high, but he can't deny that this unexpected turn of events was fun, especially having Harry all to himself for one hour.

This has been the longest he'd been with Harry ever since the night he met Grimmy, and Zayn feels like he's falling again and his heart got suspended in the air.

After they paid the bill, they both went out of the restaurant in silence, carrying the scrapbooks Anne left.

"So," Zayn drawls on as he turns to Harry "See you tomorrow, I guess." He mumbles.

Harry looks at him with an unreadable look, opening his mouth and then closing it, as if he's having a mental debate whether he's going to say something or not. 

When Zayn waves at him goodbye after giving Harry all the books, he turns around and walks away but stopped when he heard him shout his name.

"Yes?" Zayn looks back, his heart is in his throat.

Harry hesitates at first before looking at him in the eyes "Can I give you a lift?" He asks and he looks so nervous as if he has never given Zayn a ride before.

"Sure." Zayn smiles because he still wants to spend time with Harry.

When they got into his car, Zayn frowns when he saw a photo of Harry and Grimmy taped on the car compartment. It was a picture of them two, with Grimmy kissing Harry on the cheeks.

"Sorry!" Harry was quick to take the photo down and put it inside the glove compartment. When Zayn looks at him, he blushes "Grimmy insist I put the photo there."

"I understand." He mutters, instantly regretting his decision to let Harry drive him back to his flat as images of Harry and Grimmy kissing enter his head. An image of them on the bed under the sheets with La Vie En Rose playing and Harry moaning Grimmy's name-

"Stop thinking about it, Zayn." Harry pleads as if he knows what's going on in his mind, and it makes Zayn sick because Harry knows him so much that he can even tell what he's thinking.

"I'm not thinking of anything." He lies, his tone high pitched. Before Harry could say anything else, Zayn speaks first "How does it feel seeing your mum and your sister again?" He immediately asks, wanting Harry to be distracted.

Harry looks strained before turning his attention back on the road "It's surreal. I miss them, so I'm glad they're here."

"Your mum misses you too." Zayn says. "She cried actually."

"Really?" Harry's eyebrows shoot up at the information "How'd you know that?"

"I was with her." He shrugs "I was a stranger to her that time, just helping her carry the books then she divulge about you and how she misses you."

"That's so my mum. She does that." He chuckles.

"Your sister was nice too." Zayn comments.

"Yeah?" Harry's smile widens and he looks so giddy at Zayn's words "So you like my family?" He asks as if it's an important question.

"Of course, Harry."

Harry bites his lips as if he's trying to contain his happiness "You mean it?" He asks "Because they like you too."

Zayn feels a deep tingle in his stomach "I'm happy to know that."

"So," Harry says after a short while "About what you said a while ago."

"Hmm?" Zayn hums looking at the buildings and shops they're passing by.

"Remember when Grimmy asked about your first kiss and relationship." He stammers "And you mentioned someone named Margeary. So, who is she, exactly? You've never told me about her." He says in a clipped tone.

Zayn chokes at the question, which made Harry glance at him worriedly. "So, I take it that she's someone important?" He frowns.

"What?"

"Your reaction says a lot." He says "You've never mentioned her to me before though." His face contorted into a deeper frown.

"You never asked."

Harry shrugs, and he looks almost bothered.

"So, what?" He coughs "Are you in love with her or something? Do you still love her? Don't you love anyone else? Like someone close by?" He asks, his pitch increasing with each word.

Zayn looks at him strangely before shaking his head. "Harry, are you okay?"

He nods "So who is she again?"

"Why?"

"You're deflecting." Harry gapes.

"She's just...someone in my life." Zayn answers carefully.

"Do you still talk?"

"Yes."

"What do you talk about?"

"Stuff."

"Like what?"

"Life."

"What is she like?"

"Nice."

"How is she?"

"Well."

"How was your first kiss with her?"

"Fine."

"Did you guys do it?"

"Yes."

"How was the sex?"

"Adequate."

"Do you still think of her?"

"Sometimes."

"How long were you together?"

"Years.'"

"How many years?"

"Two."

"Is she single?"

There was a pause, and when Harry looks at Zayn, he frowns. Zayn was holding onto his seat tight as if they were about to crash.

"Well?" Harry presses "Is she single?"

"No."

Harry's frown disappears. He lets out a sigh of relief that didn't come unnoticed to Zayn.

"So, she has a boyfriend?"

"She has a fiance." He corrects, staring out of the window.

"Oh, good." Harry sighs "Aren't you happy for her?"

"For her?" He asks "Yes, I'm happy."

"Yeah?"

"She's one of those people who were born without their tattoo."

"Oh." Harry gasp, instantly feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

"That's why her parents were happy when she found a fiance."

"Well, at least she has a happy ending."

Zayn didn't reply, instead he plays with his hands.

He was pointedly staring outside so Harry would stop with the questions, when suddenly there was a vibration in his trouser. He fishes his phone out of his pocket to look at who's calling. When he saw who it was, he could only stare at the name.

"Who's Jo?" Harry asks abruptly, making Zayn flinch. "Is he a friend or something."

Zayn turns off his phone and puts it back in his pocket "Something." He mumbles "Do you have a gum?"

"Glove compartment." He answers. When Zayn opened the compartment, he froze, because there was another polaroid.

It was of Harry and Grimmy, they're at a cafe and they were smiling so big as if it's the happiest day of their lives, and normally Zayn would shove down that foreboding feeling and the blatant pain, but he can't, because not only is Grimmy sitting down with Harry and living the life Zayn wanted, but he's also wearing Zayn's hoodie.

The hoodie he lent to Harry because Harry was sick and cold. The hoodie Zayn never got back because Harry said it reminds him of Zayn when they're apart so he's never going to return it. The hoodie Grimmy's fucking wearing on this picture.

"Zayn?" Harry calls out, snapping Zayn out of his angry thoughts.

He turns to Harry, his brows furrows and eyes accusing "What the hell, Harry?" He exclaims as he flings the picture at Harry, who looks at him with wide eyes. Maybe it's the pent up anger of being ignored by Harry lately, mixed with jealousy of Grimmy, and now that he found out his favorite hoodie is being used by the person he envies and hates the most, was more than enough to release his frustration and pain. It was like the bomb within him has been lighten and he's about to blow up after days of hiding his agony of watching the person he loves fall in love with someone else.

Harry frowns "Zayn, I-"

"You gave him my hoodie?" He shouts, and he faults himself when he feels his hands shakes.

"N-no!" Harry denies "I didn't! He took it from my bed and just wore it. I can't tell him it's yours, because that would just make him suspicious."

"So, you just let him wear it?"

"What else was I supposed to do Zayn?"

"I want it back." He snaps, and maybe it's the anger that's talking or the pain and jealousy because he actually wants Harry to have it, so that when they finally stopped seeing each other, Harry has something to remember him by.

Harry's face falls at his demand "What? no!" He says "You-you gave it to me and you can't..you can't have it back." He stutters. "It's-it's mine."

"So you can just give it away? To fucking Grimmy of all people?"

"I didn't give it to him. He took it." He scowls "And why do you have to curse my soulmate's name?"

"As if you don't fucking know?" Zayn snarls.

"What don't I know?"

"You know!"

"I don't!"

Zayn's jaw clench "You know you're always with him, and you know it's hurting me." He spits the last words as if it's fire in his mouth.

Harry's face softens "Zayn-"

"You-you're always with him. Ever since you met him, it's like I stopped existing. I know how much you love him, but at least pretend that you care about me even for a short while. That's all I'm asking, to fucking pretend, so I won't be feeling this much pain" He says, voice cracking, but it felt good to finally let out all of the feelings he was bottling.

"You think I don't give a shit?" Is how Harry responds, his face screwed up like he's in pain.

"I know you don't give a shit."

"You really think that low of me?"

"If you cared, you wouldn't have been treating me like a stranger."

Harry blinks and it looks like he stopped breathing "I made you feel like that?"

"As if you don't know!"

"I'm sorry." He says "I never thought we'd end up here," Harry says, his tone remorseful and apologetic. "This was never the plan, Zayn. I never wanted you to feel sad or hurt, because of the shitty decisions I made. Or the decision I have to make now."

Zayn gulps and it feels like time stopped when Harry didn't say anything else. He looks at him, his breath shaking "Do you regret us?"

There was a pregnant pause, and when Harry didn't reply, Zayn looks at him with so much pain, because Harry does. He fucking does. He regrets them.

"I'm sorry," Harry says, his chin beginning to wobble. "I just... I can't do this anymore. I can't be with you like this anymore."

"H-Harry-"

"I have a soulmate, Zayn." He whispers "I can't have this with you when I have him."

Zayn didn't reply, he was too distracted by the breaking of his heart.

"You said when we started this," Harry says "that we can't have feelings." He closes his eyes tight as if he's hurting "So stop it, Zayn, you can't have feelings for me."

Then his world becomes dark. His skin is stinging, he can't move, can't blink. Is this seriously fucking happening?

"Talk to your mum, Zayn, it always calms you down."

Zayn can't help but tear up again because he fucking hates how Harry knows him so much to even know that.

"How can you even say that?" He snaps. It's blatant he's blinking rapidly, his face contorted into a fierce scowl, his hands fisted and shaking at his sides.

"I know you-"

"No, you don't." He says through gritted teeth "Because if you do, then you'll know how I'm feeling right now. And you would've stopped because you're..you're Harry." He stammers "You get hurt when someone's hurting."

"Zayn." He bites his lips "I'm sorry-"

"No, don't you fucking apologize when you're telling me you're done with me."

"Zayn." He whispers "I know what this might look like. But this isn't me pushing you away, this is me telling you that we need to stay away from each other if I'm going to love my soulmate."

"Then fucking love him, Harry." He scoffs "What does that got to do with me?"

"Everything." He whispers "I can't mentally, emotionally and physically love him when you're here."

"What?"

"I'm sorry I just don't want to do it anymore."

But all Zayn could hear was I don't want to do anything with you anymore.

"W-why?" He stammers brokenly.

"I can't break my soulmate's heart." He implores, his face torn.

"So, your breaking mine." 

Then the car finally halts in front of Zayn's flat.

"I'm sorry, I just don't think there's anything else I can do for you."

"Harry." He manages to say, his voice cracking.

"You have to go." Harry says, his voice empty but his eyes were flicking with too many emotions. "I know you'll forget about us soon enough." He says "I know you."

So, Zayn opens the door, but before he leaves he turns to look at him again "If that's what you truly think, then you don't know me at all, Harry."

Then he was leaving. He was quickly walking towards the flat and into the stairs, his heart is hammering and he feels like the world had gone quiet. All he hears is a cluster of silent minutes that screams white noise that makes Zayn wish he was stoned.

Before he could open the door to his flat, a hand was grabbing him by his arms. Zayn almost stumble in surprise but the hand was quick to hold him tight. He almost gasp because he didn't expect for Harry to run after him. And he looks scared, so fucking scared as if he knows he shouldn't be doing what he's doing.

"I know you." Harry says, and he was shaking and blinking so rapidly. "I know you easily forget things that makes you upset and you don't hold grudges. I know you're a heavy sleeper and you can only sleep to a classical music when there's a storm. I know that you don't like pickles or mushrooms or unnecessary small talk. You shaved your head when you were fifteen because you found out that the little girl living next door was diagnosed with cancer. You hate that your father thinks of you so highly because you feel like you can never meet his expectations, even when I told you how great you are so many times. You gave your whole savings to your 6th grade art teacher when you found out that her mother died and she couldn't pay for the funeral. You've watched The Last Song so many times, but you still cry every time the father dies because you can't help but think of your own dad. You tug at the front of your hair when you're anxious, you play with your fingers when you're nervous, you bite your nails when you're uncomfortable, and sometimes," Harry breaks off "You smile and it makes people around you stop in their tracks to stare. It's like... you smile and it literally stops time. And you don't even notice."

There was a pause, and when Zayn looks at him, he almost passed out because Harry eyes are wet.

"You can sometimes come off as mean because your ego and pride is high when arguing with other people, but you'll be the first one to apologize afterwards. You're scared of getting hurt. You want people to think that you don't need anyone, but you dream of finding your soulmate." He whispers the last part "And you're scared you'll end up alone that no one will love you because you don't have a fucking tattoo, when you should've known someone has been in love with you for months." He gulps "And you don't even know."

"Harry-"

But Zayn didn't get to finish what he was saying, because Harry was kissing him. He pulls Zayn's face to his and Zayn's startled an intake of breath until finally he opens his mouth and smashes their lips together so aggressively. The kiss was so raw and desperate as if this was the last time they'll ever kiss, and Zayn got the terrifying feeling that it might as well be.

He falls back to the wall, his hands fisted on Harry's jacket. Harry takes his bottom lip between his teeth and pulls. Then it's a mess of mouths and hands as they fumble with each other's neck and body trying to pull each other closer-

Then the door to Zayn's flat opens, and it was amazing how they immediately pulled away from each other as if they we're five feet from each other from the very start.

When they both look at the figure who opens the door, Zayn can't bother to hide his scowl and Harry looks nervous and guilty, but Louis didn't pay any mind to their reactions or the state of their looks, because he was immediately gripping Zayn's arms as if Zayn's about to die.

"Where were you? I've been texting and calling you." He whispers frantically.

"Chill, I was just-" But he didn't get to finish what he was saying, when another figure emerge from the door.

"Jo?" Zayn says.

Jo gave him a smile before turning to Harry. "Hi, are you one of Zayn's friends?"

"Yes, I'm Harry." He says, giving a charming smile "I'm his friend. And I take it that you must be Jo?"

"Yes, Jo short for Margeary." She says " Zayn's fiance."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.

It was late at night when Zayn finally finished his penalty of being late again. He was tired as well as empty to go on another day without Harry, who hasn't showed up for work for an entire week now. 

Harry's not at his flat nor does he shows up to work anymore, it was like Harry disappeared in the face of the Earth. He hasn't called Zayn or texted him, which was only expected, but Zayn hasn't been sleeping well without knowing where Harry is, and it's driving him mad.

So, on the fourth day when Paul notices Zayn going mental over Harry's disappearance, he finally decided to take pity on him and reveal Harry's location, saying that Harry needs to take a leave because his sister is sick, so he's currently in Southampton with his sister.

But Zayn knows that was only a facade because when he texted Gemma if she was all right, she replied with 'What are you talking about? and 'What did you do to him, Zayn?' which made Zayn throw his phone on his bed in guilt, because he can tell that Gemma was upset with him as well.

After the introduction of Jo to Harry, Zayn was on the brink of having a panic attack with the way Harry turned to Zayn so deliberately as if he can't believe what he's hearing, and it made his heart constrict when Harry's chest heaved so rapidly and his eyes turned glassy, and before Zayn knows it, Harry was running down Zayn's flat and out of the door. He was too immobilized to follow Harry.

With a heavy heart of not having seen or heard from Harry for days, he still continues to do what he normally does even when everything in him is screaming for him to go to Southampton and show up to Gemma's doorstep and apologized to Harry.

Zayn was still deep in thought when he left the theater. He was still trying so hard not to think about Harry while he locks the cinema when he suddenly feels a figure behind him. His heart almost jumped out of its place when he saw Harry standing on the sidewalk, with his eyes closed as if he has been waiting for Zayn for so long. When he heard Zayn shuffle, his eyes opened and Zayn almost crumple to the ground when he saw Harry's red-rimmed eyes that manages to tug at every single of Zayn's heartstrings.

"Harry." Zayn says so quietly as if his name was a secret between them.

"I-I." He stammers and it looks like he has been awake for days with his red tired eyes and slump figure "I don't get it. How could you not tell me?" He says in a voice that sounds so detached as if he's dissociating himself from the whole world. "Do you know how horrible I have felt this past few days? Do you know how many nights I didn't get to sleep? Do you know how many times my sister thought I was dying?"

"Harry." Zayn tries again, his voice imploring "Let me explain."

"I can't believe you." Harry shakes his head, his voice and stare seems like it has been robbed of its usual glow "I don't think I could take another round of feeling like this, Zayn." He gasps, clutching his chest.

"I'm so sorry." He says with a hint of panic in his tone.

"How...How can you-" He stutters "How can you even have a fiance?" Then he looks at Zayn with such distress that it made him look away.

"I-"

"Look at me, you twat." He cries "You fucking owe me that."

Zayn looks at him, with discomfort and remorse.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." He whispers.

"You didn't mean to ask me to sleep with you when you have a fucking fiance?" He hisses.

"I'm sorry-"

"How can you even have a fiance?" He whimpers, his voice sounding watery and confused, like he can't understand what's happening.

"Look, I-" He falters, not knowing how to explain lightly "I met Jo when I was sixteen." He finally says after a pause "It was a year after my tattoo was burned. My mum thought it would do me good if I attend a support group where people like me lost their tattoos. Our facilitator, Dave, gave me hope, that even with a scar for a tattoo, I could still find my match. So, I keep attending the support group for so long where I eventually met Jo."

"But you said you've only been with her for two years?" Harry says, and he looks so tired---worn out---the skin under his eyes are purple from lack of sleep and his bottom lip bitten raw. "In the car. You said Margeary has a fiance and you've been with he for two years." He says absently, then he lets out a humorless chuckle.

Zayn nods tightly "We weren't official till we were both eighteen. That was when I started to think that I would never find my match. I lost hope and so did Jo. We both started spending our time together and that was when I realized that even without our tattoo that doesn't mean we couldn't find love."

"Do you love her?" Harry swallows, balling his hands into fist.

He hesitates when he saw the anxious look on Harry's face but Zayn knows he can't lie to Harry anymore and he doesn't want to, so he shakes his head with guilt before looking at him in the eyes. "Of course, Haz." Harry whimpers at that

"But you slept with someone else?" He spits "When I went home with Louis that night, you went home with someone else! Do you even remember her fucking name?"

"Of course, I do." Zayn says, not knowing why Nicole's name matters."Her name's Nic-"

Harry lets out a harsh laugh "I don't mean for you to tell me who you slept with, you twat. Do you think I want to know the names of the girls you've slept with. It was a fucking rhetorical question, Zayn!"

"I'm sorry." Zayn palms his head in frustration "I know I fucked up, but this isn't what I want for us."

"I just want to know why you sleep with people when you have a fucking fiance." Zayn gulps at Harry's angry tone. He raises his chin to look at Zayn with anger.

"Jo was still clinging to this small hope that we might find our other halves, so she told me that we can look for them until we're married. I know it sounds fucked, but I guess we only agreed to get engaged so that when we actually don't find what we're looking for we still have each other."

When Zayn looks up, he swears that Harry looks so resigned.

"So, you have an open relationship?"

Zayn hesitates before nodding "Sort of. It's the only chance we know how to find our soulmates, but we have a rule." He exhales and starts talking slowly "We can look for our other halves but we can't catch feelings unless we're certain the person we're with is our soulmate. So, we're basically allowed to sleep with people, we just can't be sentimental."

"That's-" Harry squeezes his eyes shut then opens them again, as if he's trying to wake himself up from a bad dream. "That's fucked, Zayn."

"I know." He whispers guiltily.

"How long have you been engaged?"

"She's been my girlfriend for two years then I proposed to her when I was 22."

"You've been engaged with her for two years." Harry gasps.

"She said that if one of us finds our soulmate, we don't have to continue with the wedding." Zayn says, biting his lips.

"But nether of you haven't found your soulmate." He frowns.

Zayn nods deliberately. 

"When's the wedding?" Harry asks, holding his breath.

"After she finishes her uni." He says quietly.

"When will she finish?" He asks, and his voice sounds so scared that it made Zayn look away.

"She just finished three weeks ago, Harry." Zayn answers softly "That's why she's here."

He heard Harry let out a pained sound that made Zayn shuts his eyes in affliction.

"Harry." Zayn whispers, wanting to reach out.

"I don't-" Harry stutters, clutching on his chest again "I don't know why I'm hurting so much."

"I-I'm so sorry."

"Zayn?" Harry cries "Why do I feel like I'm dying?"

"Harry." Zayn gapes before reaching to him to hug him.

Harry grips on him firmly as if Zayn's going to disappear in any moment. They stayed like that for several minutes, with Harry's head nestled on the crook of his neck and their arms tight around each other, until Harry's heart starts to calm down and the hiccups stops.

"I thought you're done with me?" Zayn whispers, brushing Harry's hair.

Harry tightens his arms around Zayn's body "I ran after you, Zayn. Then I practically mount you in your corridor." He says flatly.

Zayn lets out a tiny chuckle "Fair." He says quietly, kissing Harry's hair.

After a while, Harry speaks again "Are you going to marry her?"

When minutes have passed and Zayn didn't answer, Harry detaches himself from Zayn and looks at him as if Zayn just took a piss on him. "Zayn!" He hisses.

"What can I do, Harry?" He asks, raising his voice as well "I can't just back out-"

"Why not?" He steps back as if Zayn shoved him off, and he looks so betrayed by Zayn's words.

"Why would I, Harry?" He asks "What is there for me if I leave my fiance? You?" He lets out a humorless laugh.

But his face softens, when Harry starts to resemble like a kicked puppy.

Zayn frowns in confusion "You have a soulmate, Harry."

Harry bites his lips before taking Zayn's hands "Let's run away." He says with a manic frenzy "Let's leave and never return. We could go to Southampton to my sister or to L.A or to wherever you want...Just-just stay with me."

Zayn gapes "You have a soulmate and I have a fiance-"

"Then why does being with you feels so fucking right, Zayn?"

"I-" Zayn looks around, feeling like a caged animal. "I just can't-"

"Then why not?" He hisses. "Why can't we run away? Why can't you leave her?"

"When my parents found out about Jo, they were ecstatic because I found someone to be happy with. They finally stopped worrying over me feeling sad about not having a tattoo when they saw how good Jo is for me."

"You don't want to leave her because of your parents? That's a fucked reason to stay with someone, Zayn."

"I'm fine spending my life with her. If I break up with her, my mum would start feeling sorry for me again and my dad will be convinced that I couldn't find anyone else other than Jo."

"What about me, then?" Harry whispers "You found me."

Zayn's breath hitches at that "Y-you know we can't be together. You have Grimmy."

"But there has to be something that we can do." He says looking as desperate as he sounds "This can't be it. There has to be a way. I can talk to Grimmy and you can talk to Jo-"

"About what?" Zayn asks "That we'll leave them so we can be together-"

"Yes!"

"We can't do that. Can you even hear yourself?" Zayn scoffs. "Wanting to leave your soulmate to be with your fuck buddy?"

Harry looks away. "I don't know what it is, but I feel like I don't belong with him."

Zayn bows his head sadly. "I just don't want you to wake up one day beside me and regret that you run away with me."

Harry shakes his head. "Waking up next to you is the only thing I could possibly want right now."

Zayn looks at him with pained eyes. "We can't just abandon them."

"Do you even love her?'

Zayn kept quiet until he looks Harry from under his lashes "I want to."

Harry bites his lips before stepping into Zayn's personal space and holding his shoulders "And what about me? Do you love me?"

Zayn gasp at the question, not expecting those words to leave Harry's lips. Instead of answering him, Zayn takes his face in his hands and attaches their lips together. When their lips catch, the shock of it is enough to make Zayn pull away, but Harry pulls him close and they hum when their mouths meet. Zayn presses his fingers into his hot cheeks as he kisses him again, just once, a gentle little kiss that's enough to make his heart slam into his ribs as he leans in to kiss him again. 

He wants it to be like this forever, hazy and floaty and their lips never parting away, the pair of them shivering with the promise of it. But it will never be like this again, the thought makes Zayn's heart ache. They will never have another kiss, never want each other as much as they want each other now.

He pulls Harry's face closer as he lunges forward, and for a minute all that was on his mind was Harry. Zayn was pouring his unsaid feelings into Harry's mouth. His tongue practically spelling the three little words on Harry's lips, his moan is whispering the words I love you and I need you and I want you. It feels as though he's resuscitating him, breathing life into his lungs. Harry grips Zayn tighter, hands bunching into his shirt and tugging him closer. 

Zayn was dizzy with the kiss, with Harry reaching for him and pulling him into a more frantic kiss that makes him sigh into his mouth. They melt into it, Harry holding his face and kissing him with a desperation that brings tears to Zayn's eyes. He clutches Harry's back, pulling him closer so there's no space between them at all, the buckle of Zayn's belt is digging into Harry's stomach as they stumble into the sidewalk and fall against the theater wall. Harry peels his mouth away from his, kissing his jaw, his throat, his neck then his mouth again, as though he can't bear to be away from it for a few moments.

They only pull away after a moment, both gasping for air. When Zayn looks at Harry, his eyes blazen and wild, his lips red and wet, and he's looking at Zayn as if he's ready to give up everything for him, to run away with him, to follow him to the end of the world, to be with him forever. He was looking at Zayn as if he was the answer to all of his problems and there's nothing Zayn could do that could make Harry hate him.

Harry smiles at him shyly, and before Harry even says it, Zayn could tell the next words Harry's about to say. Zayn's heart clench when he saw that glint on his eyes, the look of fond, the look of someone sickly in love.

"Zayn, I'm in lo-"

"We should stop." Zayn blurts out, letting go of Harry and taking a step back "I'm so sorry, Harry."

Harry's breath falters "W-what?"

"I'm so sorry for everything. For not telling you about her, for involving you in my mess, for making you think that I could ever make you happy."

Harry looks at him with wide eyes as if Zayn just slapped him "That's what you're sorry about?" He hisses.

"What else is there to be sorry of?"

Harry looks at him with an incredulous expression "For making me fall in love with you when you have a fiance, you fucking prick." He growls.

Zayn bites his lips as Harry looks down and covers his face with his hands. His shoulder starts moving up and down, his lips releasing quiet sobs and Zayn stood frozen on the spot. It's a heart-wrenching, gut-punching, throat-clogging to see Harry cry.

And when Zayn steps up to him to hug him, he stops when he hears Harry's chanting I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.

***

It's funny.

Fucking funny how the two people Zayn's serving right now are arguing about something as stupid as to which is the dominant color of a white tiger. It was so stupid that Zayn has to roll his eyes at the dumb topic of their argument. The couple's tattoos were both shaded red and they're looking at each other with irritation at the same time with lust. It was funny how they were able to get Zayn's attention with how angry they look at one another but still have their tattoos glow so red whenever they look at each other, and Zayn almost laughs, because the first thought that came to his mind was him and Harry.

It's obvious that the two strangers are soulmates so there was no doubt in his mind that they'll both reconcile in about three minutes, because that's how soulmates are. They love, they fight, they kiss; it's an endless cycle of an epitome of a loving relationship.

Zayn almost scoffs when the bloke argued that white is the dominant color and it only should be, because the animal is called a 'white tiger' for a reason. The girl was cursing at the bloke for being a daft, and saying how their names were unnecessary. She was also saying something about how dark colors are always more predominant. Zayn agrees with the girl, and he couldn't help think that if Harry was here, Zayn just knows that he would side with the bloke just because his favourite colour is white.

But Harry's not here, he's still on his leave. Paul doesn't know that Harry was actually back in London, but Zayn didn't bother to inform him about Harry's location, just because he knows that he and Harry needs a time off from each other. All they do this past few days was tear chunks out of each other, and it scares Zayn how they might never reconcile. Zayn doesn't deny that he misses Harry everyday he's not with him, but not having Harry here also eases Zayn's mind because he knows how tired Harry is and he's glad that he's at his flat right now and resting.

So, it was a surprise to him when he looks up and sees Grimmy making his way to the concession stand. Zayn's forehead creases in confusion when Grimmy stops in front of him with a hard look.

"Harry's not here." Was the first thing he says.

"Of course he's not." Grimmy rolls his eyes "He's still in Southampton."

Zayn pauses for a moment before looking at him with bemusement "What?"

Grimmy must have thought that Zayn was left out of the news on where Harry is, because he lets out a toothy grin as if the fact that Zayn doesn't know where Harry is counts as a win.

"Oh, you didn't know?" He lets out laugh "He's been in Southampton with Gemma, you daft. Guess he doesn't value you as much anymore if he's not updating you about his life."

Zayn raises his eyebrows in challenge, because he can't believe he's hearing this from this mole. He almost tells him that Harry's back in London for three days now just so Zayn can get rid of his smug look. He also almost laugh at Grimmy's ridiculous jab because Zayn knows that after Harry got off the train from Southampton, he went straight to Zayn. So, it's such a laugh for Grimmy to tell him how irrelevant he is from Harry's life.

"O-kay." He blinks at him. He'd much rather have Grimmy feel good about himself than disclose to him that Harry's been in London all along, because Harry must have a reason why he hasn't told Grimmy yet, and Zayn is convinced that Harry doesn't want his soulmate to know because Grimmy is such a work to be with.

"I bet you don't even know why he left in the first place." He brags with a taunting smirk.

Zayn sighs in indignation "Nope." He lies.

He chuckles at Zayn's ignorance "He went to Gemma."

"Oh, really?" Zayn rolls his eyes, having packed as much sarcasm in his tone as possible. "So, he's in Southampton right now?"

"Yes."

"Right, right now?"

"Yes" He growls

"When was the last time you've been at his flat?" Zayn picks at his fingers.

"When he was packing to go to his sister." He smirks, looking cocky as ever.

"When is he coming back then?"

Grimmy falters at the question "I'm not telling you that." He blushes, letting Zayn know he has no idea. 

"Uh-huh."

He flushes at Zayn's nonchalant tone "Let me guess, you don't know why he went to Gemma in the first place."

Zayn only blinks at him in boredom.

"Gemma's sick, you splendid twat."

"And why, pray tell, are you telling me this?"

"I just want you to know who Harry values more and who he tells his problems to." He smirks.

"Oh," Zayn says in mock realization "So, this is about insecurity?"

At that his smug grin vanishes replaced by a snarl. "I'm not insecure!"

"Of course you're not." He mocks "Why are you even here, Grimmy?" It hasn't even been five minutes and he's all ready tired of their conversation. His eyes has been drawn to a family of tourist who just entered the cinema. Zayn finds them more interesting than Grimmy's face.

"I'm not stupid, Zayn-"

"Could've fooled me." He mutters.

He reddens in anger "I know something happened between you and Harry."

Zayn finally snapped his attention on him. "What-"

"Don't deny it. I've seen the way you looked at each other and how some of his clothes smells like you." He scoffs in disgust.

"I don't know what you're on about-"

"I've already confronted Harry long before. He already told me."

"All right," He gulps "And you're telling me this why?" He asks, acting as nonchalant as he can as he watches the customers mill around.

"I'm here to tell you that-" He pauses, taking a deep breath as if he's preparing himself for the next words. His tone was surprisingly gentle and careful as if he wasn't just fighting and mocking Zayn a while ago. "Someday, someone will love you the way you should be loved. Someone will equate the intensity of your love, will do things for you lovingly, will makes you smile at night, reminds you of how much they love you every day and will laughs at your jokes." He says.

And Zayn is so shocked by his words that his attention was drawn back to him. Even his tone sounds so sincere that it made him look at Grimmy with wide eyes.

"But that someone will never and can never be Harry." He finishes.

Zayn gapes at him.

"Look, Zayn." He sighs as if he's having a difficult time talking to him "I'm in love with Harry and he's in love with me-"

"I don't-"

"I'm his soulmate and he is mine." He continues "So, I'm asking you politely to stop flirting and entertaining Harry."

"I don't flirt-"

"Yes you do." He sighs "And we won't be truly be happy while you're in the picture."

"It's not my fault-"

"I know Harry." He raises his palm to silence Zayn "I probably know him better than anyone."

"Are you sure?"

Grimmy ignores his jab "So, I know that he would want you to stop talking to him too. He's just too nice to tell you that in person."

Zayn's face flushes but before he can respond, Grimmy is already talking.

"You have no idea how good I am for Harry and how happy I can make him. So if you truly care for him, you should let him go."

Zayn gulps, and it's ridiculous when he feels himself sweat.

"I've heard about Jo as well." Grimmy mentions. He raises his hands in defense when Zayn looks at him sharply. "I was actually going to your flat to have this talk with you there, but instead of seeing you, I had the pleasure of bumping into a lovely young woman who introduced herself as Jo and told me stories about her fiancé." He says, looking at him pointedly. "She also mentioned that she wants the two of you to come back to Bradford. She's been talking to you about that for a week now and she told me you don't like the idea." He gave Zayn a hard look.

"This is none of your business, you twat."

"Actually it is." Grimmy says "Because I can't help but feel that you don't want to move back to Bradford because of a certain someone." He says "Zayn, get your head out of your arse, because Harry and I are soulmates, we're meant to be together. So, you can't even chase him if you try because you won't have a chance."

"You should leave-"

"Oh, don't worry I will." He says "I'm just here to advise you to make your future wife happy, and go back to Bradford."

"Don't tell me what to do." He growls

"It's just an advice, Zayn." He gives him a bored look "To make this easier, think about Harry, because once you're gone he'll be much happier without you confusing him and guilt tripping him into caring for you with your sob stories of not having a tattoo."

Before Zayn could say anything else, Grimmy was already turning around and leaving him be.

***

Zayn was watching the television, mindlessly flipping through the channels when he suddenly came across Annie Hall, and Zayn almost teared up because it's his mum's favorite film. She used to watched it every Sunday when the whole house has finished their dinner because she wants all of her children to watch it with her.

Zayn was in the middle of watching Annie play tennis when Zayn has the sudden urge to call his mum as he thinks of her sighing at this particular scene.

He suddenly yearns to hear his mum's voice and listen to her stories of how their neighbor's dog keeps jumping across their fence just to play with Safaa because his sister keeps giving food to the dog, which made him think of his mum's cooking that he misses immensely and her peculiar habits of warming Zayn's socks before letting him use it. She says that a happy feet can get him anywhere, and since then Zayn always warms his socks.

Before he knows it, he's already dialing his mum's number and putting the phone against his ears.

"Sunshine, you called." Tricia answers, and Zayn could just tell how big his mother's smile is.

"I did." Zayn sniffs.

"Well, how are you?" She asks gently "Everyone here misses you."

"I miss everyone too." He smiles.

"When are you coming home, then?" She asks "I heard Jo's already done with uni. Is it time already?"

Zayn bites his lips "Mum."

"Am I going to have grandchildren?" She laughs.

"Mum." He says again.

"Yes, darling?"

"I haven't been completely honest." He says with a bit of hesitancy, pausing in each word.

"What do you mean, honey?"

"I.." He inhales deeply before standing up and pacing on the small length of the living room "I met someone." He whispers.

There was a pause from the other line for quite a while that Zayn thought his mum hanged up on him "Oh?" She finally replies and it was so quiet that Zayn wouldn't probably have heard her if he wasn't pressing the phone so hard against his ears.

"Yes." He exhales. "There's...there's a man I met." He says and it feels like he's confessing with the way his heart thrums.

"Does this man got a name?"

"Harry." He answers hesitantly "His name is Harry."

"How long have you known him?"

"Five months." He says

"You've been in love for five months and you didn't tell me?" His mother exclaims in surprise, and there was a tint of sadness in her tone that made Zayn wince.

"I..I don't love him, mum." He says timidly.

"Zayn, you're calling me right after Jo came back from uni, you didn't tell me about Harry, and I heard from Jo that you don't want to come back to Bradford." She says "Is it because of him?"

At that, Zayn burst out, he couldn't keep it from his mum any longer. Not telling Tricia about Harry was a struggle, because he tells everything about him to his mum, even the most insignificant part of his day has been heard by his mum.

So, he tells her about Harry.

He tells her that Harry's eyes are like a thousand stars and his smile is like the sun. He mentions the symphony in his laugh and his skin that seems like it bathes in the moonlight. He tells her about Harry's voice that sounds like a melody that should be kept in the music box. He tells her how Harry smells like almond and honey, and it's like an opium to Zayn. He tells her how Harry's embrace could warm the coldest parts in him, even his heart. He tells her that a glance from him equates sunshine and rainbows. He tells her how his cheeks are as soft as a pillow and his hands fits perfectly in his like it's an extension of Zayn's body.

He tells her how Harry treats him, that when Zayn's feeling cold Harry would give him his coat. That when Zayn's hungry, Harry would buy him food. That when Zayn has insomnia Harry would come to him and lull him back to sleep. That when Zayn is sick Harry wouldn't even stray from his side.

He tells her how in love Zayn is with Harry, and when he finished, his mum lets out a sob.

She tells him how beautiful his love is for Harry. She tells him how lucky and happy she is for Zayn, and how mad she is that Zayn hasn't told her about this wonderful man that's making her son feels so happy and alive.

She tells him that if Zayn wants to stop the wedding, she would support him no matter what.

"Thanks mum." He smiles, and it's so wonderful to hear how his mum support him and have his back. "It's good to finally tell you about him."

"I'm glad, baby." She tells him earnestly. "So, when are we going to meet him?" She asks "Oh, Zayn, what if Harry's your soulmate? Did his tattoo glow when he saw you? Does his tattoo keeps glowing whenever he's with you?"

Zayn wince at the question."Mum." He says as anxiety hits him. He knows his mum wouldn't appreciate the fact that Zayn has been seeing a man who already has a soulmate so he knows he couldn't blame his mum for disapproving of Harry when she finds out.

"Darling, still there?" She hums after a long pause.

"Yes, I..." He sighs, inhaling deeply "Harry has a soulmate actually."

"Oh." She gasps, and after a while she speaks again "Oh, Zayn." The disappointment in her tone was so obvious that it made Zayn flinch.

"Mum, I-"

"I'm so sorry, sunshine." She says, her tone was so sad that he fears his mum is on the verge of crying "I'm so sorry. You must be hurting right now and I'm not even there to hug you. I can only imagine your pain, and you must have cried yourself to sleep when Harry met his soulmate. I can hear how much you care for this man, and to find out he has a soulmate already is simply heartbreaking."

"Oh, mum, you don't even know the half of it." He says softly.

"Are you all right, sunshine?"

"I-..No, I'm not." He says truthfully "I was stupid enough to let myself fall for him when I know that he would reunite with his soulmate soon enough. I can't believe how hard I let myself care for him. He doesn't even speak to me as much as before. He stops messaging me or even calling me. He can't even look at me without flinching. He...he-" He sniffs "It just breaks my heart, mum. I can't even sleep at night anymore without hearing his voice."

"Oh, my baby." She cries "Zayn, I...come home, okay?" She pleads "We'll make you feel better. I'll cook your favorite food and Safaa will play with you, Wal will make you laugh and Don will give you the warmest hug and spending time with your dad will make you smile and--just come home okay?"

Zayn doesn't even realize he was nodding, he just knows that he will. He will come home and will try to forget about Harry, even if that thought just breaks his heart.

***

When Zayn told Louis about coming back to Bradford, Louis almost had his favorite mug slipped from his fingers, because Louis knows that going back to Bradford means only one thing.

Ever since they were in Freshmen year they've talked about moving to London to finish uni there then they would live near the Elephant and Castle junction where the street has a long line of pubs so that they could party every weekend and work there when it's summer, but when Zayn proposed to Jo, their plans changed which leads them to talked about a new one that includes her. They talked about finishing uni then moving back to Bradford for the wedding. It was just unfortunate that Jo's school was in Scotland, so her summer schedule doesn't coincide with theirs and it also means that she would graduate later than they will.

The distance between their uni also prompts Zayn and Jo to talked about using their time apart to look for their soulmates before they get married as a last attempt to say that they did try looking for their other halves, and when they don't find them before the wedding that simply means that the two of them were meant to be together after all.

So, when Zayn announced he'll go back to Bradford, of course, Louis' first thought was to get Zayn drunk as a celebration. He made Zayn dressed up which he studiously refused because he knows that they would just end up in Lights.Co, the pub on the corner of the street.

Zayn was at the bar counter waiting for his order. He could spot Louis back at the table with Jo, who insisted to come with them when she found out that Zayn finally made up his mind to go back to Bradford. The thought of Jo already planning of gown hunting with both of their mums is making Zayn sweat, because he's not that sure anymore if he wants to get married, but he doesn't have the heart to break it off with Jo when he saw the glint in her eyes and the smile she gave him.

Zayn hasn't even told Louis about his second thoughts, because when he was about to, Jo showed up and greeted him with hugs and kisses, and he immediately thought of the moment he met Jo and the hope he felt all those years ago, that maybe he could find a perfect love without the stupid tattoo.

Being with Jo isn't like being with Harry, the difference is palpable and he doesn't know the depth of his happiness until he met Harry, but being with her wasn't a bore either. It doesn't feel like a chore or an obligation, so Zayn doesn't really mind if he spends his whole life with her, he just doesn't want it to be so soon. It feels like they're moving too fast now that the wedding is looming just around the corner.

And yes, being with Harry was easy, it's like breathing or blinking. Loving him almost feels like the utmost normal thing in his life and Zayn knows that he would hold fire in his hands for a chance at being with Harry for even a day. Being with Harry feels like Zayn's already a part of him. It feels like his heart is being held by Harry and every time Harry squeezes it, it would immediately respond to him, as if it doesn't belong to Zayn anymore but to Harry's.

And Zayn knows that's a problem because Harry already has Grimmy.

He was about to come back with the drinks when he caught a glimpse of a mop of curly hair from the corner of his eyes and he almost had the drinks spilled when he realized it was Harry. He must have been staring for too long because Harry turns around and catches his eyes. He feel his heart pound because if Harry's here then so is Grimmy, and he doesn't think he has it in him to feel another wave of sadness when he sees them together, but then Harry's making his way towards him, and Zayn has seen Harry enough times to know when he's pissed drunk, so when Harry tries to walk towards him in an unstable form it was all Zayn could do not to go to him and help him. He almost laugh when Harry trips on his own two feet, but the laughter died when he remembers their last encounter.

"Just how many have you had, Harry?" He asks when Harry finally got to him.

"I dunno probably seven." He shrugs, holding up ten fingers.

"That's ten, Harry."

"Well, choose between seven or ten then." He smiles at him drunkenly, leaning onto him closer, the distance between them were so narrow that Zayn could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"You need water." He sighs, before ordering a bottled water.

"So, what are you and your cute bum doing here?" He says with a grin. His lips is in between his teeth, and Zayn almost jumps when he felt Harry's hands on his arse.

"You're drunk." He states, pushing Harry away a bit when he tries to nuzzle his head on Zayn's neck.

Harry huffs grabbing Zayn's shoulders to steady him so he could lick his throat. Zayn flinch when Harry's tongue made a trail of saliva from his his collarbone to the end of his beard.

"Harry." He scolds half-heartedly, and pulls away when the bartender came back to them with the bottled water.

"Mhmm." He hums "Why are you pulling away?" He pouts "Don't you miss me? I've missed you like this much." He gestures, creating a huge gap between his hands to illustrate his claim.

"O-kay, drunk Harry." He says taking Harry's hands off of him when they got back to Zayn's arse.

Harry laughs and bite Zayn's nose, and when Zayn stiffens at the gesture Harry frowns. His laughter dies and his face suddenly turned serious "Missing you is the hardest thing I've got to deal everyday." He says somberly.

"Harry, stop." He says in a low voice when Harry tries to bite his neck again. He can feel his heart beating hard as he thinks of Jo just seating a few feet away from them. If Jo just turns her head a little bit she'll surely see them even from her peripherals. Zayn was thankful she has her back on them, but what bugs him is that he and Harry are directly on Louis' line of sight, so Zayn has no doubt that Louis' staring at them right now.

"Why?" He whines, resting his hands underneath Zayn's shirt and circling his thumb on his bare hips.

"Jo's here." He says, and with those words, it was like Harry was snapped awake, and he starts to resemble like an abandoned puppy. He immediately takes his hands off him, and a part of Zayn wishes he hadn't said that.

"I..I'm sorry." He stammers as his breathing increases.

Zayn flinches. "Harry-"

But he's interrupted when a girl tripped and landed on Zayn, bumping Harry out of the way. "Oops, sorry." The girl giggles and was about to get up from Zayn's chest when she saw his face, her giggling stopped as her smile turns predatory and her hands lowered to his hips. "Want a quickie, love?" She purrs, giving him a dirty smile.

"How about get of off him, love." Harry growls, grabbing her in the forearms and pushing her away from Zayn.

The girl turns to Harry with a murderous look before marching away, Harry didn't avert his glare from her till she disappeared in the crowd.

"This is your fault." He spats, pointing his finger at Zayn.

"How is getting invited for a quickie my fault?" He asks, clearly flabbergasted.

"Because," He says, his eyes flicking to Zayn's hair "Why do you have to be so attractive?" He moans in frustration before bringing his hands up to mess Zayn's hair, when he pulls away to look at Zayn's tousled hair that's now everywhere, he huffs "Now you're even more attractive." Harry groans.

Zayn sighs "You're still drunk."

"I'm not." He rolls his eyes "Because if I were, I would've done worse to that girl than pushed her."

Zayn laughs, and when he did, he lets out an unattractive snort at the end that made Harry smile and looks at him softly, but that smile soon vanished when something came over him. "Are you still going to marry her?" He asks softly and he looks so vulnerable that Zayn almost said no.

"I don't want to break her heart." He answers.

And when he looks up at Harry, he has this look in his eyes that he had when the girl asked Zayn for a quickie. "So, you're going to break both of ours' instead?" He exclaims with a snarl which earns a couple of people's head turning around to look at them, and Zayn felt a surge of panic taking over him as he glances at his table where he could still see Jo talking Louis' ears off, but Louis wasn't even listening, he was looking at them.

"You are unbelievable, Zayn! You don't even love her. Don't fucking kid yourself, because I know you, and I know you don't even think of her romantically. She couldn't even make you feel the way that I only can. She couldn't and wouldn't even know how to treat you better or care for you as right as I can." He growls as he holds onto Zayn's shirt lapel and bring their faces closer. There was such a possessiveness in his tone that whenever he prefers to himself, it made Zayn's heart race.

And when Harry looks at him with such passion, Zayn could already tell Harry's next move, so he dodges him before Harry could lay a kiss on his mouth, and Zayn must be a fucking saint or made of steel if he could avoid Harry's lips especially when he hadn't felt Harry's touch on him for a long time.

When he looks around he could see heads turning in their direction, so before he knows it he's grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him towards the loo.

When they got inside the toilets, Harry only blinks at him "We've never done it in a public restroom before." He gives Zayn a filthy smile, and Zayn is getting a whiplash on the irregularity of Harry's mood. Normally, when Harry's drunk he would be giggly and cute, but now Harry is warring and horny.

"You're still drunk." He groans, palming his face, and when his phone suddenly rings, he almost choke when he saw Jo's name. Harry must have seen Jo's picture flashing on his phone because his posture suddenly stiffens.

"Don't answer it." He pleads, grabbing Zayn's wrist. "I hate seeing you with her. I hate it when you laugh with her. I hate that she now sleeps in your room and I hate it that you look so comfortable with her." He says and his voice is shaking so much that it alarms Zayn.

"I'm only comfortable with her because I've known her for almost ten years now-"

"I hate that too!" He exclaims "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've met my soulmate, but I still think of you day and night. I still had this urge to kiss your stupid face and raked my hands on your stupid hair, and I had this yearning to fall asleep next to you after you tell me about your day while you kiss my head and rub my cheeks, and I'm worried that I might be going crazy!" He exclaims "I hate it when she's with you. The thought of you kissing-" He shuts his eyes as if he just imagined Zayn kissing Jo and it caused him physical pain. "I hate that you're with someone, and I hate it when you're smiling at someone other than me. I hate it that you're still going to marry her, and I am so jealous that you seemed to care more about not hurting her than hurting me." He says with his eyes closed as if he can't believe what he's saying "So, don't push me or I'll go even crazier." He growls, shoving Zayn's chest.

He was about to turn around and walk away, when Zayn grabbed him on the arms and kiss him on the lips. It was endearing how immediate Harry melts into him and how fast his hand cusp Zayn's arse and corner him into the wall.

But Zayn doesn't mind as he flicks his tongue over Harry's and licks his bottom lips. Harry parts his mouth to let Zayn's tongue slide inside and Zayn groans when his tongue glides over Harry's as they start to lick into each other. Harry wraps his hands around Zayn's waist and pulls him in closer, so that Zayn is slotted fully between Harry's spread legs, their chests and hips flush, their groins pressed firmly together.

"Jesus, Harry." Zayn moans, and kisses him deeper, their tongues delving into each other's mouths, their hands sliding over each other's bodies as their kisses becomes more aggressive, their touches more frantic.

Harry pulls away, sliding his hand further up Zayn's back and then over his neck, cradling his head. He leans in and Zayn feels a delicious pressure bordering on pain as Harry bites his lips then his jaw, and left a trail of saliva down his throat before clamping his mouth over his neck and begins to suck and bite at Zayn's tender flesh.

"Don't leave a mark, Haz." Zayn whispers as he pull Harry's face closer to his neck. He whimpers when Harry didn't follow Zayn's orders and bites down harder, his teeth nearly puncturing the milky tissue below Zayn's ear.

"Fuck, don't stop," Zayn groans, as Harry takes his mouth away to lick at Zayn's reddening skin. "Feels like I'm on fire." Harry bites back down again as Zayn circles his hips against Harry's, both groaning as their bodies make contact. Harry releases his lips from Zayn's neck and the motion makes a loud popping noise as the suction is broken. Their mouths quickly finds each other again and Zayn feels his body practically dissolve into the kiss; it's absolutely perfect in every conceivable way.

Before Harry could attach his lips on Zayn's throat again, Zayn pushes him away as he gets down on his knees and pulls Harry's trousers down. Harry was shaking so much with eagerness that his legs starts to quiver and he almost topples forward so Zayn has to hold his hips to steady him.

"Zayn." Harry groans when Zayn bit his hips and pulls on the skin.

"I miss you." Zayn breathes as he peppers Harry's thighs with kisses and love bites "I've missed you so much it feels like a piece of me has been ripped off when you're away." He growls, diving back to the underside of Harry's shaft.

Harry barks out a laugh that quickly turns to a whimper when Zayn leans over and licks Harry's slit that's leaking already with precum. Zayn dips his fingers into the precome and wipes it on Harry's belly before licking and sucking it. He wraps his hand around Harry's head and then move it downward over Harry's shaft, getting it slick. He then begins to pump, the precome allowing Zayn's hand to easily glide up and down, Zayn presses his thumb along the vein as he works a steady rhythm.

Sweet little breathy sounds escape Harry's lips and his body trembles as he responds to Zayn's touch.

Zayn uses his free hand to spread Harry's legs and he nestles between them, nosing up the inside of his thigh and along the soft patch of hair at his groin. He licks his tongue over the spot and Harry's skin is slightly salty and a thin sheen of sweat is starting to form on his body. Harry smells tangy and sweet, with just a hint of the muskiness of sex and Zayn thinks that if Harry's skin were the only thing he ever smelled for the rest of eternity, it would be a very happy existence indeed.

Harry's hand was quick to pull Zayn's face and guide him back to his dick when Zayn stray far away to kiss his thigh. So, Zayn sucked him hard, his cheeks hollowed and his hand holding his thigh when it keeps buckling with how deep Zayn is going. He was sucking him so deep that every of his eyelashes is touching Harry's pubic hair. And Harry was sobbing to suck him harder, he was chanting that for so long that Zayn doesn't remember when 'suck me harder' turned to 'love me harder'.

And when Harry finally came, Zayn swallowed every last drop until he feels his throat constrict.

Harry slid down the wall to join him on the floor, his lips was pink and his cheeks was red as he pulled Zayn for another deep, long, passionate kiss that has Zayn thinking if Harry was pouring everything he wants to say to Zayn into that kiss. And when they pull away, Harry smiles lazily.

"Hey, love." He says with a silly smile and a sillier blush.

"Hey, baby." Zayn replies, grabbing Harry's hand and intertwining their fingers. "Still drunk?" He asks as he nudges Harry with his nose.

Harry smiles at the contact "I don't think so." He answers, bringing Zayn's hands up to his lips and kissing each of his knuckles "You sucked too hard that the alcohol exited my cock."

Zayn barks out a laugh, his head tipping back and his eyes crinkling, and before he knows it Harry's grabbing his head back and attaching their lips again.

When they finally fixed themselves, their eyes were shining bright, their cheeks were reddening, and their skin were glowing. They're so occupied with each other— giggling and touching —that they almost left the toilet with their fingers interlock.

They were about to turn to the corner when they bumped into someone and when they both looked up, it was almost simultaneous when their whole body turns rigid as Grimmy gaze at them with a surprised look.

"Harry." Grimmy says after a while, grabbing Harry's hands and pulling him to him "I've been looking everywhere for you." He says before grabbing Harry's face and shoving his tongue on his surprised lips.

Zayn almost punch him in the face when Grimmy kept his eyes open as he kisses Harry. His eyes focused on Zayn entirely as he deepened the kiss. He even has the nerve to smirk at him when he saw Zayn's jaw clench.

Fucking Grimmy, he hopes he can taste the cum on Harry's lips.

When Harry finally pulls away, his cheeks were red and he was looking at Zayn timidly.

"I'm sorry." Harry says to Grimmy "Mum texted me to call her." He lies.

Grimmy looks at him with a suspicious gaze before shrugging "It's okay, babe. Did you send Anne my regards?" He asks, slinging his arm over Harry's shoulder and guiding him away from Zayn.

But before they could even make it five feet away, Grimmy's phone rings and when he looks at his phone, Zayn could just make out that it was an important call when he excuses himself from Harry.

In an instant Harry was turning around and running back to Zayn's side. He knows they can't kiss or hug each other, so Harry surreptitiously reach his hand over Zayn's side and link their pinkies together.

***

Louis was watching the whole exchange from the other side of the bar. He doesn't want to admit it, but his heart is hurting for Zayn, because his best mate is clearly in love with someone else who already has a soulmate, which is strange because the person who has a soulmate doesn't even seem to be slightly in love with his own other half.

His heart is hurting for Jo as well, because Louis knows she tries so hard to make her relationship work with Zayn, wanting Zayn to be her soulmate and her happy ending.

Louis sighs in their love triangle drama, and when he turns around, he almost wince when another body collides against his' and when he looks up, he tilts his head at the look of the familiar face.

Louis squints at the person that he bumped into and smiles when he recognizes that blonde hair and model looking face.

"Nicole!" He exclaims in surprise.

"Do I know you?" She asks, her eyebrows pinched together.

"We met before." He says. "Funnily enough, we met at this bar."

She only raises her eyebrows at him.

"You slept with my mate." He trails off with an expectant gaze. She only gives him a blank look "Remember Zayn?" He says "Eyelashes, cheekbones, and deep suburban accent that sounds like he just went through puberty." He describes, and when she didn't respond, he sighs "Forget it."

He was about to walk away when she stops him "Wait, what name did you say it was again?"

"Uh, Zayn?"

"Zayn?" She frowns before making a sound of surprised "Oh, Zayn! I know Zayn! Is here here? where is he?" She asks, looking around the pub with a sense of purpose.

Louis looks at her questioningly, not knowing why she wants to see Zayn "Yeah, he's here." He answers hesitantly "If you want to relive a night with him, I don't think that's going to happen." He snorts, glancing at Zayn, who's still tucked away in the corner with Harry.

She gives him an annoyed look "No, I just want to talk to him."

"Yeah, right." He chuckles, looking at her suspiciously. "Look, he has a fiance so I don't-"

"He has a fiance?" Her jaw drops open in surprised.

Louis shrugs "Yeah, he does. Zayn proposed to-"

"Oh, Zayn proposed to him? That's sweet." Louis' face scrunches "It's heartwarming to know that Zayn did end up with him after all."

"What?" Louis raises his eyebrows "Zayn ended up with who?"

"The bloke from that night."

Louis frowns "What bloke?"

"You know, the bloke." She explains, clearly exasperated. "Zayn's soulmate."

Louis could only blink at her "What?"

Nicole huffs before clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth in frustration "Ugh, where's Zayn?" She demands, putting her hands on her hips.

Louis stares at her blankly before pointing at Zayn, who's still preoccupied with Harry "Over there." He points to where he and Harry were laughing and touching each other's arms furtively.

Zayn has his back against the wall, and Harry has his hand resting besides Zayn's head, and their faces were only centimeters away from each other. To other people they might look like they're snogging, but Louis knows better.

He rolls his eyes at the two splendid idiots, before turning to look at Nicole, who was staring at Zayn and Harry with what looks like relief.

"So, they did end up together." She sighs in respite and Louis didn't miss the way her shoulders relaxed and her eyes soften as she watches Zayn and Harry. "Good." She mutters turning to Louis "I thought I would live my whole life with the guilt of kissing someone in front of their soulmate." She laughs nervously.

Louis' eyebrows pulls together "What are you on about exactly?"

She ignores him "So, if they ended up together, do I still have to apologized to them?" She wonders out loud, turning back to glance at Zayn.

"Apologized for what?"

She gives him an exhausted look "For kissing Zayn after he saw his soulmate."

Louis' jaw drops open "What soulmate?" 

"The bloke he's with right now." She says

They both looked at them in unison, and Louis frowns when he saw Harry looking around before sneaking a chaste kiss on Zayn's lips.

"What?" Louis almost chokes. "You mean Harry?"

She cocks her head to the side "Oh, that's his name? sounds so posh." She laughs before looking at Louis entirely "Anyway, I hope I didn't caused them any trouble. Send them my regards, will you?" She says, flicking her hair, and turning around to go back to her friends.

"Wait!" Louis shouts "Aren't you going to talk to Zayn?"

She shakes her head. "I think if I show my face to them, Harry would kill me."

Louis stares at her, clearly flabbergast "I have never been more confused in my entire life."

She rolls her eyes at him "Are you drunk?" She scoffs.

"No." Louis shakes his head "I'm not drunk. How did you know they're soulmates? How can you be so sure?"

She shrugs "Zayn and I were dancing that night when the next thing I know he was staring at something over my shoulders, and when I looked around I saw that curly haired bloke. And they were too distracted eye-fucking each other to notice that Harry's tattoo was turning red." She says "But I saw."

At her words, Louis' mouth drops open.

Nicole didn't acknowledge his reaction as she rambles on. "And I kissed Zayn in front of him which why I feel so guilty, but I'm glad they're together now."

"So, you're saying, Zayn and Harry are..." He pauses, not knowing if he can say it when his gaze flicks to Jo, who was sitting alone on her phone while furtively looking around for them.

"-soulmates." She finishes "I told you I saw his tattoo glow when they looked at each other."

"Yeah, but Harry's probably looking at someone behind Zayn." Louis argues.

Nicole looks uncertain at Louis' words, but shrugs in an insouciant way "Probably." She says "But when Zayn fell asleep after we had sex, the outline of his scar- his tattoo- glowed too."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I almost had a heart attack, because I thought his tattoo glowed because of me, but when I looked down on my own tattoo, and it was still unshaded, I just knew he met his soulmate that night." She shrugs.

Louis was about to say something when a girl with pink hair slings her arms around Nicole's shoulders and giggles.

"Is this piss pot bothering you?" She slurs, pointing at Louis, and when she looks up at him, her mouth drops open and instantly clings onto him "Well, hello, lovely." She coos.

"Umm." Louis stammers, trying to untangle her hand off his neck.

Nicole rolls her eyes "Excuse my friend." She tells Louis with a grimace "I told you not to drink too much." She scolds her, pulling her hands away from Louis' shoulders.

"You're my soulmate!" The girl whines, ignoring Nicole, as she claws at Louis' shirt. "Look at my tattoo, it's glowing." She says shoving her wrist to Louis' face. Louis almost chokes when he saw that it was indeed glowing.

"Don't mind her." Nicole groans as she tries to keep her friend away from Louis. "You're not her soulmate. She just had a Jax."

"What's a Jax?"

"It's this drug that makes you feel so good, like you're floating up in the sky." She says dreamily. "But after a few hours when the drug finally subsides there's a side effect."

"Let me guess it makes you crazy?" Louis mutters as he stares at the girl who was still trying to get to Louis.

"No." Nicole huffs "It makes your tattoo glow."

"There's a drug that could shade your tattoo?" Louis gapes. "Isn't that supposed to be illegal?"

"It's not, but this drug is only served to people acting in movies who have roles that needs their tattoo to be shaded." She rolls her eyes "And my friend works in Warner Bros, that's why she got the Jax."

"Ahhh." Louis nods dumbly.

"See? even my tattoo is shaded." She says as she lifts her right wrist "Do you want one?"

"No, thanks." He shakes his head. "Is it like permanent?"

Nicole kooks at Louis as if he's an idiot "Of course not, the glow disappears after 24 hours."

"Ahhh."

"Well, anyway, don't forget to tell Zayn and Harry that I was sorry, all right?" She says as she starts to leave, dragging her friend with her "Oh, and tell Harry I was sorry for kissing his soulmate in front of him!"

Then she was gone, swallowed by the crowd.

Louis stares after her, and when he looks back at Harry and Zayn, he almost chokes when he saw Harry with Grimmy and Zayn with Jo.

Zayn was talking to Jo with his eyebrows furrowed, probably apologizing to her for taking too long. Jo only smiled at him and fixed his hair which made Zayn smile as well, and when Louis looks at the other side of the bar, he saw Harry and Grimmy snogging against the wall.

Louis bit his lips as he thinks of Zayn smiling at Jo and Harry kissing Grimmy's lips.

Zayn and Harry already looks like they're content with someone else, so he wonders if he should say anything to them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.

It was late at night when Zayn got a call from his mum, nagging him about when he's coming back. He hasn't told his mum that he's actually leaving London tomorrow evening, he wants it to be a surprised after all. He wants to see his dad try to fight his tears, to see his mum run up to him with a sob, and see his sisters' try to hide their excitement as they race their way up to him.

He bought his ticket three days ago, and until now he hasn't packed his clothes or even prepared his toiletries, so when Jo arrived at his flat and see all of his clothes still neatly lain out in his wardrobe, she almost faint from shock, because all of her belongings has already been packed and ready since this morning, and to see Zayn's suitcase still empty and probably dusty from not having been used in years was a struck to her heart.

She almost snarled at him before she pulls out his luggage from the deepest part of his wardrobe and ordered him to go to the laundry room and wash his dirty clothes. Zayn can't refuse, because Jo has been stressed enough as it is, coaxing her dad to come back to England for her only daughter's wedding and calling up florist and pastries shop to book her a schedule in Bradford.

So, when Zayn left to go to the laundry room right next to their landlord's flat, Jo wasted no time in folding his clothes as neatly as she can as she put it inside his suitcase.

"Excited?" Louis asks as he watches Jo move around Zayn's room.

She whirls around to look at him. "Ecstatic." She corrects with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm sorry again that I couldn't come back with you this early." He apologizes "But I promise I'll be there after a week."

She shrugs "S'all right."

"So," He trails off with an uncertain look "A-are you happy with Zayn?"

She gives him a quizzical look "What kind of a question is that? Of course I am."

He clears his throat "What about your soulmates?"

"We tried looking for them." She shrugs "It's just unfortunate that the universe thinks neither of us should find them."

Louis wince at her reply. "Well-"

"And I'm actually glad we didn't, because I'm happy with Zayn."

"Oh." Louis' face reddens. "Really?"

She hums in affirmation "Being with him already feels like I found my match, which makes me wonder if we are each other's soulmates, but we just don't have a way to confirm it."

Louis sighs in resignation "You love him that much then?"

Jo gives him an absurd look "Of course."

"But what if you actually found your soulmate?"

She shrugs with a troubled look "I'll wish I hadn't." She says "I don't want to hurt Zayn. We got engaged because we felt like we're the best we'll ever have for each other, and leaving Zayn for someone else feels like I'm betraying him."

"So, you'll stay with him even if you found your match?" Louis gapes and he thinks he stops breathing when she said yes.

"I just hope my soulmate would understand." She says carefully "And I hope Zayn would love me enough to do the same for me."

Louis screws his eyes shut "What if Zayn found his soulmate?"

Jo flinches at the question "It's up to him." She bites her lips "But honestly, I don't want him to leave me, and I don't think he will." She says with so much confidence in her tone that it rattles Louis.

"But what if Zayn wants to be with him?" He asks.

Jo gives him a strange look "Honestly, Louis, what is this about?"

"I-"

"Neither of us found them, so I don't think we should even entertain those kinds of hypothetical questions."

Louis gulps "Well, do you remember Harry?" He asks carefully.

"The curly haired one?" She grimaces.

"Yes." He nods reluctantly, not knowing why she scoffs at the mention of Harry.

Jo bites her lips, looking at him dead in the eyes as she lowers her voice "Don't tell anyone, okay?" She whispers regardless of the fact that they're the only ones at the flat.

"W-what?" Louis holds his breath.

Does she know? Does Jo fucking know?

"I think Harry likes Zayn." She says quietly.

Louis gapes "Oh?"

"Yeah." She nods "Remember when we were at the bar a week ago?"

Louis chews on his lips and nods.

"I saw Harry keeps trying to touch Zayn, and I know he was drunk but he keeps pestering Zayn! Maybe that's why Zayn took Harry to the toilets so he could talk to him and not make a scene as he lets Harry down easily."

Louis stares at her openly.

She saw them?

"And later that night, when Harry finally disappeared, I want to tell Zayn that Harry was gone, but I can't find him as well."

Louis pretends to look surprised at the information as he nods to Jo's rambling about Harry. He honestly cannot believe that Jo can't connect the dots on why Harry disappeared at the same time Zayn did.

Isn't she at least a bit suspicious? It was kind of sad to know that the depth of her trust on Zayn run so deep that it wouldn't even occur to her that there might be something happening between Zayn and Harry.

"But I might be hallucinating, right?" She lets out an incredulous laugh "Harry has a soulmate! It's impossible for him to be attracted to someone else." She says, shaking her head as if what she's thinking was beyond her. "Oh, I've also met his soulmate!" She gushes "Grimmy, right?"

"Yeah, Grimmy." Louis nods dumbly.

He doesn't know if he should trust Nicole's claim anymore, because how can Grimmy's tattoo be shaded if he isn't Harry's soulmate, right? And Grimmy seems to be attracted to Harry and vice versa, although sometimes Harry looks more attracted to Zayn, but Louis must be overthinking again.

"Oh, speaking of Grimmy, this is his' by the way." Jo says, taking the jacket that's hanging on Zayn's desk chair. "I spilled my drink on my shirt that night, so Grimmy lent me his jacket."

Louis raises his eyebrows "Zayn couldn't give you his own jacket?"

"That was when he disappeared." She replies, stretching the jacket for Louis to take. "And when I asked Zayn about it, he said Paul called him. There was an emergency at the theater." She shrugs. "Grimmy is so nice, isn't he? Harry's lucky to have him."

Louis inhales sharply. Nicole must be pulling his leg because there's just no possible reason for the shaded tattoo on Grimmy's wrist.

As he takes the jacket from Jo something stumbled out of Grimmy's pocket. He stopped to get the thing that dropped on the floor, and his eyes narrows when he saw it was a medicine foil. There was only one red pill left and it has the letter J inscribed at the front of the tablet.

He took it from the floor not thinking much about it, even when it looks so eerily familiar. He trudges out of the room, easily forgetting that it was the same pill Nicole insisted on giving him that recent night.

***

"Really, fast food?" Zayn scrunches his nose at Louis' choice as they walked through the quiet street of London at five in the morning.

They both left the flat when Louis keeps whining about how he and Zayn should spend their limited time together before Zayn goes back home.

"I'm craving something." He says, looking around for an open store.

Zayn rolls his eyes "You idiot, there's no store open at 5 fucking in the morning other than McDonald's-"

"Except for that!" Louis exclaims, pausing on the spot. "Eat shit, Malik!" He laughs as he drags Zayn to the restaurant. When Zayn looks up, he saw it was Shake Shack, the same restaurant that's near the theater. When they entered the store, there were only two customers inside.

"What will you have?" Louis asks, looking up at the menu board.

"Smokeshack." Zayn answers, before turning to the cashier, and to his surprise it was still the same girl who took his order when Zayn was here with Harry.

It seems that the girl remembers him as well with how her eyes widen and her smile turns big "Hey! It's you." She says.

"You remember me?" Zayn asks in amazement.

"Of course!" She exclaims, still preppy as ever "Your story is the third most voted to be the most romantic."

"What?"

"You answered the survey, right?" She asks "Well, all the survey sheets are posted on the board over there, and below the paper, customers can put a heart sticker to where they think the story is the sweetest."

Louis' eyes crinkles "What is she on about?"

Zayn ignores him as the girl keeps talking "Could we take a picture of you to put it next to your survey sheet?"

Taken back by her request, Zayn nods deliberately "S-sure-"

"Really? that's great-" Then as if she has a sudden revelation, she frowns "Oh, wait but he must be with you too."

"Who?"

"Your soulmate."

Zayn stares at her blankly, beside him Louis bristles.

"The bloke you were with?" She explains at Zayn's blank look. "The curly haired one, the one who keeps calling you 'my boy'."

"Oh, Harry." Zayn says, snapping out of his stupor "That's his name. Yeah, all right, maybe next time." He lies. The girl nods before punching both of their orders at the register.

"What was that all about?" Louis hisses in his ears, but Zayn elbows him on the ribs to belt him up when the cashier turns to them again to give them their order and a piece of paper.

"That's the original copy of your survey sheet. The one posted is a photocopy." She explains "I just thought that you would want it back for a safekeeping."

Zayn nods, thanking her before dragging Louis to a booth farthest from the board.

"Lemme see that." Louis says, snatching the paper from Zayn's hands. "How did you two meet?" He reads out loud. "I met Zayn in a charity concert-"

"Give it back." Zayn huffs, taking the paper from Louis, who lets out a sound of indignation.

"You crossed paths with Harry before? Why didn't you tell me you've already met Harry?"

Zayn rolls his eyes "Don't fuss now, twat. It's a lie. The store offered us an upsized to every purchase we make if we answer this survey about couples, because they thought we were together." He explains.

"That's reasonable." Louis mutters, looking away as Zayn starts to read whatever lie Harry wrote.

He still remembers all the lies they made on how Zayn took Harry to Paris where they fell more in love with each passing day, and how Harry and Zayn had their first date in a coffee shop and how they can't get their hands off from each other. Zayn vividly remembers all of the fake scenarios they created because Zayn desperately wishes it to be real.

When his eyes finally skim to the last question, he stilled on his seat, because it was the only question that Zayn didn't bother to know the answer to. He let Harry decide on that one, because he doesn't feel strong enough if Harry doesn't choose to write yes.

Are you soulmates? It reads in big, bold letters.

Under the question, a single 'YES' was written in big, capital letters.

Zayn stares at the word with shocked eyes and gaping mouth. "We're soulmates." He stammers.

Louis looks up in a mixture of surprise and horror. "W-what?" He gasps.

Zayn looks at him softly "In the survey." He says "Harry said that we're soulmates."

"Oh," Louis chokes after a while. "You and Harry?"

Zayn blinks "This was long ago. It was before Harry found Grimmy."

Louis quiets down for a moment, looking at Zayn almost reluctantly. "Do you really like him?"

Zayn frowns, looking away. He doesn't want to answer that, because it feels like he's betraying Jo again.

"Well, do you?" Louis pushes.

"What does it matter?"

"If you say yes, I'll tell you." He mutters under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." He clears his throat, sitting up straighter. "How do you feel about Harry?"

Zayn shrugs "I dunno."

"Yes, you do." Louis urges.

"Why are you even asking me these questions-"

"Just answer me, Zayn." He presses, and he looks at Zayn so imploringly that it made him crack.

"I-I like him, okay?" He stutters, and when he remembers Harry's smile and gentle touch, he immediately found his voice. "And I'm addicted to this feeling, and I don't know how, when, or where, but Harry became my anchor and my comfort. He's like an opium and I don't know how to stop it." He confesses. "And little by little, when he's not with me, I feel myself going crazy, like I can't breathe properly sometimes or think about something without Harry crossing my mind." He says and when he looks up, Louis has this fear in his eyes that worries him, and his posture was rigid as if Zayn has him on a knife point.

"Louis?"

"So, you love him then?" He asks and there's an edge in his tone that made Zayn tilt his head.

"I don't-"

"You do, don't you?" He almost sounds frustrated.

"P-probably." He lies.

"When was the last time your tattoo glowed?" 

"What?" He asks, sounding as confused as he feels.

"Your tattoo, Zayn." He repeats. "When did it last glow?"

Zayn gives him an absurd look "Don't be ridiculous, it can't glow. There's no tattoo on my wrist. It's just a scar."

"Does your scar ever glow?"

Zayn gapes at him "Of course not-"

"Zayn!"

"Oh, for fuck sake, Louis, I don't know! I never took my covers and bracelets off-"

"But you did." Louis insists "Nicole said so."

"Nicole?" Zayn frowns.

Louis gulps. "Do you want to continue the wedding?"

Zayn stares at him, clearly flabbergasted and annoyed "Fucking hell, Louis, can we stay on one topic-"

"Just answer the question, Zayn." Louis says in all seriousness "If you say it, I'll tell you."

"Say what? Tell me what?"

Louis lets out a frustrated noise "Zayn, mate, I love you, but I don't know what you want right now. If I tell you this, it will literally change your life, and I don't know if you want that or you're content on where you are right now."

"For fuck sake Louis, just tell me!"

Louis shakes his head "Do you love Jo or not?"

Zayn bites his lips and ignores Louis' question "Just tell me." He says instead.

Louis takes a deep breath and continues his question "When did Harry first meet his soulmate?"

Zayn blinks at him "I don't see why that matters?"

"When, Zayn?" Louis growls, sounding more forceful by the second.

Zayn shrugs, looking more confused and imploring than he ever did before."I don't know, he never mentioned it. I just know that Harry met his soulmate before he met me."

Louis shakes his head "Harry met his soulmate last April 22."

Zayn narrows his eyes at him "How did you know-"

"Where were we that time, Zayn?" He asks, impatiently.

Zayn sighs in irritation, but pauses to think deeply then when it clicks to him, he looks up at Louis.

"Yes?" Louis urges, looking eager.

"You met Harry on April 22 too." He says in realization. "I would know, because he started messaging me the next day."

Louis nods "Harry met his soulmate on that night." He says "It's the same night I met him."

"Okay?"

"Which means?" He trails off, expecting Zayn to finish his thought.

Zayn only rolls his eyes and shrugs.

"You were there that night too so you and Harry were in the same place the night he met his soulmate." Louis answers, emphasizing each words.

Zayn exhales in exhaustion "So what if Harry and I were in the same place that night?"

"Because on that night, I wasn't the only one who met Harry." Louis says slowly.

And when Zayn didn't answer, Louis sighs.

"You met Harry that night too, Zayn."

He raises his eyebrows "No, I didn't. I met him three days after. At the theater, remember?"

Louis shakes his head stubbornly "No, you didn't. As a matter of fact, you met him before I even did."

Zayn shakes his head in disbelief "I would probably remember if I did."

"But you didn't because you were drunk and high."

Zayn rolls his eyes. "All right, say that I did meet him. What does it matter?"

"It matters because your tattoo glowed."

"What?"

Louis ignores him. "Harry met his soulmate that night."

"I know." Zayn groans.

"And you did too."

"What?"

"You met your soulmate that night too, Zayn."

"What the fuck are you on about?"

He sighs "Remember when you told me about a bloke who caught your eyes?"

"Yes?"

"I found him, Zayn."

"What?"

"I know who that bloke is."

Zayn, feeling a thousands of emotions right now and have millions of thought zipping through his head, sits up straighter. His heart was shriveling and it feels like all the blood in his body suddenly left him. He felt hot and cold all at once, and he can feel himself stopped breathing.

"Who?" Was the only thing he said.

***

Nine miles away, a man with a glowing heart named Harry Styles woke with a start.

***

It was late at night when Zayn got a call from his mum, nagging him about when he's coming back. He hasn't told his mum that he's actually leaving London tomorrow evening, he wants it to be a surprised after all. He wants to see his dad try to fight his tears, to see his mum run up to him with a sob, and see his sisters' try to hide their excitement as they race their way up to him.

He bought his ticket three days ago, and until now he hasn't packed his clothes or even prepared his toiletries, so when Jo arrived at his flat and see all of his clothes still neatly lain out in his wardrobe, she almost faint from shock, because all of her belongings has already been packed and ready since this morning, and to see Zayn's suitcase still empty and probably dusty from not having been used in years was a struck to her heart.

She almost snarled at him before she pulls out his luggage from the deepest part of his wardrobe and ordered him to go to the laundry room and wash his dirty clothes. Zayn can't refuse, because Jo has been stressed enough as it is, coaxing her dad to come back to England for her only daughter's wedding and calling up florist and pastries shop to book her a schedule in Bradford.

So, when Zayn left to go to the laundry room right next to their landlord's flat, Jo wasted no time in folding his clothes as neatly as she can as she put it inside his suitcase.

"Excited?" Louis asks as he watches Jo move around Zayn's room.

She whirls around to look at him. "Ecstatic." She corrects with a grin.

"Yeah, I'm sorry again that I couldn't come back with you this early." He apologizes "But I promise I'll be there after a week."

She shrugs "S'all right."

"So," He trails off with an uncertain look "A-are you happy with Zayn?"

She gives him a quizzical look "What kind of a question is that? Of course I am."

He clears his throat "What about your soulmates?"

"We tried looking for them." She shrugs "It's just unfortunate that the universe thinks neither of us should find them."

Louis wince at her reply. "Well-"

"And I'm actually glad we didn't, because I'm happy with Zayn."

"Oh." Louis' face reddens. "Really?"

She hums in affirmation "Being with him already feels like I found my match, which makes me wonder if we are each other's soulmates, but we just don't have a way to confirm it."

Louis sighs in resignation "You love him that much then?"

Jo gives him an absurd look "Of course."

"But what if you actually found your soulmate?"

She shrugs with a troubled look "I'll wish I hadn't." She says "I don't want to hurt Zayn. We got engaged because we felt like we're the best we'll ever have for each other, and leaving Zayn for someone else feels like I'm betraying him."

"So, you'll stay with him even if you found your match?" Louis gapes and he thinks he stops breathing when she said yes.

"I just hope my soulmate would understand." She says carefully "And I hope Zayn would love me enough to do the same for me."

Louis screws his eyes shut "What if Zayn found his soulmate?"

Jo flinches at the question "It's up to him." She bites her lips "But honestly, I don't want him to leave me, and I don't think he will." She says with so much confidence in her tone that it rattles Louis.

"But what if Zayn wants to be with him?" He asks.

Jo gives him a strange look "Honestly, Louis, what is this about?"

"I-"

"Neither of us found them, so I don't think we should even entertain those kinds of hypothetical questions."

Louis gulps "Well, do you remember Harry?" He asks carefully.

"The curly haired one?" She grimaces.

"Yes." He nods reluctantly, not knowing why she scoffs at the mention of Harry.

Jo bites her lips, looking at him dead in the eyes as she lowers her voice "Don't tell anyone, okay?" She whispers regardless of the fact that they're the only ones at the flat.

"W-what?" Louis holds his breath.

Does she know? Does Jo fucking know?

"I think Harry likes Zayn." She says quietly.

Louis gapes "Oh?"

"Yeah." She nods "Remember when we were at the bar a week ago?"

Louis chews on his lips and nods.

"I saw Harry keeps trying to touch Zayn, and I know he was drunk but he keeps pestering Zayn! Maybe that's why Zayn took Harry to the toilets so he could talk to him and not make a scene as he lets Harry down easily."

Louis stares at her openly.

She saw them?

"And later that night, when Harry finally disappeared, I want to tell Zayn that Harry was gone, but I can't find him as well."

Louis pretends to look surprised at the information as he nods to Jo's rambling about Harry. He honestly cannot believe that Jo can't connect the dots on why Harry disappeared at the same time Zayn did.

Isn't she at least a bit suspicious? It was kind of sad to know that the depth of her trust on Zayn run so deep that it wouldn't even occur to her that there might be something happening between Zayn and Harry.

"But I might be hallucinating, right?" She lets out an incredulous laugh "Harry has a soulmate! It's impossible for him to be attracted to someone else." She says, shaking her head as if what she's thinking was beyond her. "Oh, I've also met his soulmate!" She gushes "Grimmy, right?"

"Yeah, Grimmy." Louis nods dumbly.

He doesn't know if he should trust Nicole's claim anymore, because how can Grimmy's tattoo be shaded if he isn't Harry's soulmate, right? And Grimmy seems to be attracted to Harry and vice versa, although sometimes Harry looks more attracted to Zayn, but Louis must be overthinking again.

"Oh, speaking of Grimmy, this is his' by the way." Jo says, taking the jacket that's hanging on Zayn's desk chair. "I spilled my drink on my shirt that night, so Grimmy lent me his jacket."

Louis raises his eyebrows "Zayn couldn't give you his own jacket?"

"That was when he disappeared." She replies, stretching the jacket for Louis to take. "And when I asked Zayn about it, he said Paul called him. There was an emergency at the theater." She shrugs. "Grimmy is so nice, isn't he? Harry's lucky to have him."

Louis inhales sharply. Nicole must be pulling his leg because there's just no possible reason for the shaded tattoo on Grimmy's wrist.

As he takes the jacket from Jo something stumbled out of Grimmy's pocket. He stopped to get the thing that dropped on the floor, and his eyes narrows when he saw it was a medicine foil. There was only one red pill left and it has the letter J inscribed at the front of the tablet.

He took it from the floor not thinking much about it, even when it looks so eerily familiar. He trudges out of the room, easily forgetting that it was the same pill Nicole insisted on giving him that recent night.

***

"Really, fast food?" Zayn scrunches his nose at Louis' choice as they walked through the quiet street of London at five in the morning.

They both left the flat when Louis keeps whining about how he and Zayn should spend their limited time together before Zayn goes back home.

"I'm craving something." He says, looking around for an open store.

Zayn rolls his eyes "You idiot, there's no store open at 5 fucking in the morning other than McDonald's-"

"Except for that!" Louis exclaims, pausing on the spot. "Eat shit, Malik!" He laughs as he drags Zayn to the restaurant. When Zayn looks up, he saw it was Shake Shack, the same restaurant that's near the theater. When they entered the store, there were only two customers inside.

"What will you have?" Louis asks, looking up at the menu board.

"Smokeshack." Zayn answers, before turning to the cashier, and to his surprise it was still the same girl who took his order when Zayn was here with Harry.

It seems that the girl remembers him as well with how her eyes widen and her smile turns big "Hey! It's you." She says.

"You remember me?" Zayn asks in amazement.

"Of course!" She exclaims, still preppy as ever "Your story is the third most voted to be the most romantic."

"What?"

"You answered the survey, right?" She asks "Well, all the survey sheets are posted on the board over there, and below the paper, customers can put a heart sticker to where they think the story is the sweetest."

Louis' eyes crinkles "What is she on about?"

Zayn ignores him as the girl keeps talking "Could we take a picture of you to put it next to your survey sheet?"

Taken back by her request, Zayn nods deliberately "S-sure-"

"Really? that's great-" Then as if she has a sudden revelation, she frowns "Oh, wait but he must be with you too."

"Who?"

"Your soulmate."

Zayn stares at her blankly, beside him Louis bristles.

"The bloke you were with?" She explains at Zayn's blank look. "The curly haired one, the one who keeps calling you 'my boy'."

"Oh, Harry." Zayn says, snapping out of his stupor "That's his name. Yeah, all right, maybe next time." He lies. The girl nods before punching both of their orders at the register.

"What was that all about?" Louis hisses in his ears, but Zayn elbows him on the ribs to belt him up when the cashier turns to them again to give them their order and a piece of paper.

"That's the original copy of your survey sheet. The one posted is a photocopy." She explains "I just thought that you would want it back for a safekeeping."

Zayn nods, thanking her before dragging Louis to a booth farthest from the board.

"Lemme see that." Louis says, snatching the paper from Zayn's hands. "How did you two meet?" He reads out loud. "I met Zayn in a charity concert-"

"Give it back." Zayn huffs, taking the paper from Louis, who lets out a sound of indignation.

"You crossed paths with Harry before? Why didn't you tell me you've already met Harry?"

Zayn rolls his eyes "Don't fuss now, twat. It's a lie. The store offered us an upsized to every purchase we make if we answer this survey about couples, because they thought we were together." He explains.

"That's reasonable." Louis mutters, looking away as Zayn starts to read whatever lie Harry wrote.

He still remembers all the lies they made on how Zayn took Harry to Paris where they fell more in love with each passing day, and how Harry and Zayn had their first date in a coffee shop and how they can't get their hands off from each other. Zayn vividly remembers all of the fake scenarios they created because Zayn desperately wishes it to be real.

When his eyes finally skim to the last question, he stilled on his seat, because it was the only question that Zayn didn't bother to know the answer to. He let Harry decide on that one, because he doesn't feel strong enough if Harry doesn't choose to write yes.

Are you soulmates? It reads in big, bold letters.

Under the question, a single 'YES' was written in big, capital letters.

Zayn stares at the word with shocked eyes and gaping mouth. "We're soulmates." He stammers.

Louis looks up in a mixture of surprise and horror. "W-what?" He gasps.

Zayn looks at him softly "In the survey." He says "Harry said that we're soulmates."

"Oh," Louis chokes after a while. "You and Harry?"

Zayn blinks "This was long ago. It was before Harry found Grimmy."

Louis quiets down for a moment, looking at Zayn almost reluctantly. "Do you really like him?"

Zayn frowns, looking away. He doesn't want to answer that, because it feels like he's betraying Jo again.

"Well, do you?" Louis pushes.

"What does it matter?"

"If you say yes, I'll tell you." He mutters under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." He clears his throat, sitting up straighter. "How do you feel about Harry?"

Zayn shrugs "I dunno."

"Yes, you do." Louis urges.

"Why are you even asking me these questions-"

"Just answer me, Zayn." He presses, and he looks at Zayn so imploringly that it made him crack.

"I-I like him, okay?" He stutters, and when he remembers Harry's smile and gentle touch, he immediately found his voice. "And I'm addicted to this feeling, and I don't know how, when, or where, but Harry became my anchor and my comfort. He's like an opium and I don't know how to stop it." He confesses. "And little by little, when he's not with me, I feel myself going crazy, like I can't breathe properly sometimes or think about something without Harry crossing my mind." He says and when he looks up, Louis has this fear in his eyes that worries him, and his posture was rigid as if Zayn has him on a knife point.

"Louis?"

"So, you love him then?" He asks and there's an edge in his tone that made Zayn tilt his head.

"I don't-"

"You do, don't you?" He almost sounds frustrated.

"P-probably." He lies.

"When was the last time your tattoo glowed?" 

"What?" He asks, sounding as confused as he feels.

"Your tattoo, Zayn." He repeats. "When did it last glow?"

Zayn gives him an absurd look "Don't be ridiculous, it can't glow. There's no tattoo on my wrist. It's just a scar."

"Does your scar ever glow?"

Zayn gapes at him "Of course not-"

"Zayn!"

"Oh, for fuck sake, Louis, I don't know! I never took my covers and bracelets off-"

"But you did." Louis insists "Nicole said so."

"Nicole?" Zayn frowns.

Louis gulps. "Do you want to continue the wedding?"

Zayn stares at him, clearly flabbergasted and annoyed "Fucking hell, Louis, can we stay on one topic-"

"Just answer the question, Zayn." Louis says in all seriousness "If you say it, I'll tell you."

"Say what? Tell me what?"

Louis lets out a frustrated noise "Zayn, mate, I love you, but I don't know what you want right now. If I tell you this, it will literally change your life, and I don't know if you want that or you're content on where you are right now."

"For fuck sake Louis, just tell me!"

Louis shakes his head "Do you love Jo or not?"

Zayn bites his lips and ignores Louis' question "Just tell me." He says instead.

Louis takes a deep breath and continues his question "When did Harry first meet his soulmate?"

Zayn blinks at him "I don't see why that matters?"

"When, Zayn?" Louis growls, sounding more forceful by the second.

Zayn shrugs, looking more confused and imploring than he ever did before."I don't know, he never mentioned it. I just know that Harry met his soulmate before he met me."

Louis shakes his head "Harry met his soulmate last April 22."

Zayn narrows his eyes at him "How did you know-"

"Where were we that time, Zayn?" He asks, impatiently.

Zayn sighs in irritation, but pauses to think deeply then when it clicks to him, he looks up at Louis.

"Yes?" Louis urges, looking eager.

"You met Harry on April 22 too." He says in realization. "I would know, because he started messaging me the next day."

Louis nods "Harry met his soulmate on that night." He says "It's the same night I met him."

"Okay?"

"Which means?" He trails off, expecting Zayn to finish his thought.

Zayn only rolls his eyes and shrugs.

"You were there that night too so you and Harry were in the same place the night he met his soulmate." Louis answers, emphasizing each words.

Zayn exhales in exhaustion "So what if Harry and I were in the same place that night?"

"Because on that night, I wasn't the only one who met Harry." Louis says slowly.

And when Zayn didn't answer, Louis sighs.

"You met Harry that night too, Zayn."

He raises his eyebrows "No, I didn't. I met him three days after. At the theater, remember?"

Louis shakes his head stubbornly "No, you didn't. As a matter of fact, you met him before I even did."

Zayn shakes his head in disbelief "I would probably remember if I did."

"But you didn't because you were drunk and high."

Zayn rolls his eyes. "All right, say that I did meet him. What does it matter?"

"It matters because your tattoo glowed."

"What?"

Louis ignores him. "Harry met his soulmate that night."

"I know." Zayn groans.

"And you did too."

"What?"

"You met your soulmate that night too, Zayn."

"What the fuck are you on about?"

He sighs "Remember when you told me about a bloke who caught your eyes?"

"Yes?"

"I found him, Zayn."

"What?"

"I know who that bloke is."

Zayn, feeling a thousands of emotions right now and have millions of thought zipping through his head, sits up straighter. His heart was shriveling and it feels like all the blood in his body suddenly left him. He felt hot and cold all at once, and he can feel himself stopped breathing.

"Who?" Was the only thing he said.

***

Nine miles away, a man with a glowing heart named Harry Styles woke with a start.

Harry lay flat on his back, breathing hard as though he had been running. He had awoken with a strange yet familiar sense of longing with his hands pressed over his face. The tattoo on his wrist feels hot like it was burning a hole on his wrist as though someone had just pressed a hot wire to his skin.

He sat up on his bed and looked at his bedside clock, when he saw it was five in the morning he groans. The space in his bed beside him was cold and empty, which means Grimmy has been long gone. Harry lets out a sigh as he made his way out of his room, but before he could open the door, he heard quiet, strangled sobs, and when he peers over the door he saw the sounds coming from Grimmy.

The sight of it made Harry's stomach drop, he felt the air in his lungs disappear as he stays frozen on the spot, watching as Grimmy continues to shed tears at five fucking in the morning.

As Grimmy's soulmate, Harry should be fretting and hovering over him, trying to make him stop and do his hardest to make him smile, but Harry can't, instead he feels a heavy weight on his shoulders, and his toes curls because it's too fucking early to deal with something so heavy.

He shakes his head, he shouldn't think like that, he's his soulmate. He should comfort Grimmy and make him feel good about himself.

With faltering steps, Harry made his way over him. His shuffling must have been heard by his soulmate, because his sob suddenly reduce to hiccups.

"Hey." Harry says hesitantly. "What's wrong?" He asks, silently debating if he should put his hand on his shoulders. He heard that a lone touch from your soulmate, makes everything better. So when he lays his hand gently on Grimmy's shoulder, his heart sank when Grimmy lets out louder cries.

He frowns at his reaction since he can't believe his mum's stories about comforting your soulmate with just a touch was a lie.

"Grimmy?"

"My nan was taken to the ER this morning." He answers immediately, and Harry feels a sudden wave of alarm.

Grimmy's nan has an urgent case of tuberculosis and was declared fatal two years ago, but in the recent months she starts to show signs of recovery and she was later discharge. Grimmy and his family were happy with the news. So, to hear that his nan was taken back to the hospital must be such a distress to the entire family, and Harry can't imagine the pain Grimmy must be feeling.

"Oh fuck, I'm so sorry, Grimmy." Harry, being kind as ever, was quick to hug him in comfort. "How is she now?"

"Stable." He wipes his face with his hands as his sobs starts to subside. "Do you know what my nan always tells me every time I visit her at the hospital?" He asks with a humorless chuckle.

"What?" Harry asks as he rubs his hand up and down Grimmy's back.

"She always tells me to get married as soon as I find my soulmate. So, that before she dies, she'll be happy."

Harry's hand instantly stills, and in a flash, his hands quickly retracts from his back as he stares at Grimmy with wide eyes.

Before Harry could say anything, Grimmy lets out a self-deprecating chuckle as he stares at Harry with sad eyes. "You know what's worse than a dying grandma?" He asks rhetorically "The fact that I can't make her wish come true just because my own soulmate doesn't love me back."

Harry gapes "I-I..of course I do." He flushes red as he puts more distance between him and Grimmy.

"Yeah?" He challenges "You will marry me then?"

Harry's heart starts to race as his eyes scans the entire room, as if he's looking for an escape. Harry has no doubt that he looks like a caged animal right now.

Grimmy lets out a bitter laugh as his cheeks starts to run with more tears. "You can't even answer me," He spits "My own soulmate."

"It's not like that." Harry pleads. "I just never imagined myself to get married at this age."

It was a lie, because ever since he heard his mum tell her story of how she married her soulmate, Harry never stops thinking of spending his whole life with his other half regardless of their age.

"Have you considered marrying?"

"Of course." He replies easily.

"Well, do you wanna marry me?"

Harry stills and his chin wobbles "I-..y-yeah..Of course, but not now." He stammers.

"How about Zayn?" He snarls "Have you ever thought of marrying Zayn?"

At the mention of his name, Harry's heartbeat starts to increase and the tattoo on his wrist starts to feel as if there's a little bird trapped underneath his skin.

After a long pause, Harry shakes his head "O-of course not." He says in a small, quiet voice, as he tilts his head down shamefully.

Harry's answer must have done something to Grimmy, because the next thing he knows is that his face has been taken into Grimmy's hands as he crashes his lips desperately into Harry's. He lets out a surprised sound when Grimmy's hand clutches his neck so hard that Harry's sure there will be nail marks dented on his neck. He lets out a whimper when Grimmy accidentally bit his tongue, and when he pulls away Grimmy was scowling.

"You don't even love me!" He cries again.

The loud sound made Harry flinch and he wrinkles his nose when he thinks about their neighbors. He hopes they don't wake them, because they'll surely file a noise complaint to their landlord.

"Shh!" Harry quiets him down, looking around desperately "You might wake up the neighbors-"

Grimmy looks at him incredulously "You care more about that?"

"Of course not." He panics.

"Do you even love me?"

Harry's heart starts to thrum hard "Of course." His reply was automatic as if he's used to saying that word every time he's asked that specific question.

"No, you don't." He argues "You can't even say the words 'I love you'. Every time I tell you those three simple words, all you say is 'You too' or you'll just smile, and it doesn't even reach your eyes."

"Grimmy-"

"And you know what's worse?" He challenges "Ever since I was a kid all I want is to love my soulmate endlessly and irrevocably, and to be loved back just the same." He sniffs "And now that I found you, I die a little because my own soulmate can't even love me back, and it's unfair." He sobs "Just unfair."

Harry immediately feels a twinge of guilt "I'm sorry for making you feel that way." He apologizes softly.

"Then say it." He begs "Just say it so I'll know it's true. If you don't say it, my nan might die unhappily."

Harry pauses at Grimmy's pleading. Is he...guilt tripping Harry?

But when Grimmy lets out another hiccup that seems to be full of pain, Harry's heart starts to ache. He screws his eyes shut as he starts to feel sad for his soulmate. Harry has been selfish and unfair to Grimmy, he knows, and he has been blinded by his desire for someone else that he didn't realize that he's been hurting his own other half. He feels guilty as he looks again at Grimmy's tear stained eyes. Fuck. He did that. Harry really did that. He made his soulmate feel sad and so insecure of Zayn that it's tearing his soulmate apart.

When Harry was younger, he promised himself that when he finds his other half, he will bring nothing but joy and laughter in their lives as Harry tries his hardest to make his soulmate happy, but looking at Grimmy now breaks Harry apart, because not only is he making Grimmy unhappy, but he's also hurting him.

Harry takes a deep breath before looking at Grimmy dead in the eyes "I love you." Harry finally says in a shaky voice.

At his words, an instant smile made its way to Grimmy's face as he went up to Harry and kisses him again.

"Convince me." He says as he pulls Harry's lip with his teeth and snakes his hand down Harry's trousers.

Harry feels himself sweat at Grimmy's hands that seems to be everywhere. They've never done it before. He doesn't know why, but Harry can't stomach the idea of making love with someone else other than Zayn.

"Harry." Grimmy moans, and Harry gulps because the sound of his name being moaned by someone other than Zayn sounds so wrong. His heart starts to race, not because of eagerness, but rather the lack of.

But Harry has to do this. He wants Grimmy to stop crying. So Harry finally lifts his hands into Grimmy's face and pulls him into a deeper kiss.

He just hopes he won't moan another boy's name.

***

Harry was standing in his kitchen, facing the stove as he cooks their breakfast. It was only six in the morning, but Grimmy already wants Harry to cook for him. He was confused at first because Grimmy never eats breakfast, and Harry never forces him to change his eating habits, so when Grimmy told him to prepare a big breakfast, the only thing Harry can do was raise his eyebrows, but he didn't protest, because making breakfast also means that he could get out of bed and not do the whole pillow talk thing with Grimmy.

Harry wasted no time in doing what his soulmate asked, as he pulls on his sweatpants and wear his shirt before making his way to the kitchen as fast as he could.

"What's cooking, good looking?" Grimmy smirks as he make his way to where Harry is and bumps Harry on the hips with his own.

Harry flinches, but muster up a smile "We have fried eggs, sausages, black pudding, pancakes, sliced banana, and soda bread from last night." He says as he points at each dish. "And of course, a tea for me and a coffee for you."

"That's great, darling." He beams, kissing Harry on his shoulders before nibbling on his ears. "But where's the bacon?"

"Oh," Harry wince "I don't have bacon." He used to love bacon, but when he started seeing Zayn, he stopped eating bacon and he has reduced in eating pork, because the first time he made breakfast for Zayn, Harry has to endured watching Zayn poked idly at the pork on his plate until Harry dumbly realized that Zayn's a Muslim, and ever since then, Harry never made bacon anymore, much less buy one, even when Zayn told him it was all right.

At the thought of Zayn, Harry suddenly starts to feel the immense yearning and the need to see him again. It was a need that feels so urgent that he can feel the bottom of his heart thrums with desire. In an instant, his right wrist starts to strain. Harry is no stranger to getting wrist cramps, so he twists the joint in his hands in an attempt to massage it, thinking that he must have slept on a wrong angle last night.

"What's wrong, darling?"

"It's my wrist again." He cradles his right hand on his chest. Grimmy reaches over to take his wrist and attempts to massage it.

"Oh, your tattoo is warming up again." Grimmy frowns "It must be doing that because I'm near you." He smirks.

"Yeah?" Harry looks at him with skepticism.

"Mhmm." He hums "It happens to me too when you're with me."

"Oh." Harry grimaces, he doesn't know that having his soulmate near him will make his tattoo hurt.

"Yeah, it's probably because we just had sex-" But before he could finish his sentence, there was a loud banging on the door.

Harry frowns "Who do you think that is?"

But Grimmy's already dashing to the door with a child's speed.

Harry poke his head out as he looks at the visitor. His heart sank when Grimmy opened the door and sees Grimmy's parents.

What the fuck?

"My darlings." His mother greeted, kissing his son's face before going straight to Harry and pecking him on both cheeks.

"Eileen." Harry greets with a wide smile as if he's having the best time of his life right now. "How are you? It's lovely to see you again." He smiles "You look younger and more dazzling each time I see you."

She laughs "Quite the charmer you always are, Harry." She pinches his cheeks before hugging him again.

"Eileen, give the poor boy some space, you'll run him out of air." Grimmy's dad scolds lightly which made Eileen laugh before pulling away.

"Peter, how are you?" Harry asks when he turns to Grimmy's dad, his natural charisma slipping in. "It's so nice to see you again!" He greets, opening his arms for a hug.

Peter smiles, hugging him back before he pats Harry on the back. "I'm fine, lad, we're happy to be here."

Harry, keeping a happy facade, continued smiling, even though he has no idea why they're here in the first place. "We're happy you're here too." He smiles warmly, gesturing at the dining table "Please, seat. It's good that I just finished cooking breakfast." He says before going back to the stove with a frown.

He was busying himself with preparing the food when a hand snakes its way into Harry's waist. He stiffens at the touch and when he looks around, he saw Grimmy. "I didn't know your parents are coming over." He whispers quietly.

"That's because I didn't tell you, silly." He laughs as if Harry's being stupid.

"You should have told me then." He frowns.

"I want it to be a surprised."

"Well, I'm surprised." He mumbles quietly "Why did you call them? Are we celebrating something?"

"Later, I'll tell you." He winks before pecking him on the cheeks that made Harry flinch.

***

They were in the middle of eating breakfast, and Harry already feels tired as they talked about how Grimmy's sister switches her course from medicine to law, and Grimmy's parents were telling Harry how proud they are of Jane.

"So, how about you, Harry?" Eileen starts, wiping her mouth with a napkin Harry provided "What are your plans?"

Before Harry could answer, Grimmy beats him to it "Harry's actually still deciding, aren't you, babe?" He flashes him a smile. "Harry, 'ere, actually thinks he wants to be a cameraman." He laughs as if it's a silly joke.

Peter frowns "Cameraman? like photography?"

"No, dad," Grimmy rolls his eyes "The one that holds the camera in movies."

Harry blushes, because that's not what he wants. "No, I actually want to be a sound producer. I want to work in the film industry, babe." He says to Grimmy with a frown.

"Oh, but weren't you a cameraman at your old job?"

He feels his neck warms at the embarrassing question "No, babe." He gives him a tight-lipped smile "I was in craft service team."

There was a pause, before Grimmy lets out a laugh. Eileen looks at Grimmy with confusion as if she wishes for Grimmy to share the joke with them so that they could laugh too. "What's craft service team?" She asks.

And Harry just wants the world to swallow him whole or teleport him into Zayn's flat, because he's too embarrass to answer her.

He already feel sorry for himself that his mother has to pay a large amount of money for his uni just for him to end up as one of those blokes who brings food to the set. He was also embarrassed enough that he became an assistant of some sort who takes people's orders instead of becoming a sound producer. So, he was looking at Grimmy, silently hoping that his soulmate would catch his look and change the subject, but he didn't.

"Oh, it's quite dull." Grimmy sighs "Harry's the one that brings donuts to the set." He says as if it's a joke and the three of them laugh as Harry sinks further down his chair.

"T-that was the only available spot when they were hiring." He frowns.

"It's all right, Harry." Eileen gives him a pity look. "If that's what you really want-"

"No, it's not." Harry flushes.

Grimmy takes a sip on his coffee, before looking at him "Babe, why didn't you tell me you bring food to the set?" He asks.

"I did-"

"But you're not going to stay on that job, right?" Peter quirks his eyebrows.

"Of course not, that's not what I-"

"Harry actually got fired-"

"I didn't get fired, I actually-"

"So, you stayed?" Eileen frowns "How much is the salary?"

"It's not much but-"

"You should take up law." Peter decides. "I know people from a law firm nearby."

"I don't want law. It's not something I think I would-"

"Dad, he wants to be a cameraman."

"A sound producer." He interjects fiercely. "What I do there is-"

"Same thing." Grimmy shrugs, interrupting him again.

"Well, what do you do now, Harry?" Peter asks.

"I worked at-"

"He works at a cinema theater." Grimmy cuts in before turning to Harry again who looks like he's a minute away from having a heart attack. He's never felt this pressured before, not even at home. His mum never pressured him about his future. "Babe, if you want I could talk to my manager at BBC so we could work together."

"As a cameraman?" Peter protests. "That's absurd!"

"Think of the salary." Eileen interjects. "Harry, what can you say about this?"

"As I said I'm not planning to be-"

"Then it's settled you're going to be a lawyer, lad."

"With all due respect, Mr. Grimshaw, I don't want-"

"He's going to work at the BBC, dad." Grimmy snorts. "Right babe?"

"Well, if you let me speak-"

"As a cameraman?" Eileen gasps. "With what salary? how will you live? how will our grandchildren live?"

"Grandchildren?" Harry gapes.

"Well, that's what Harry wants." Grimmy sighs as if he too is disappointed.

"Look, Harry's probably just confused right now." Eileen says, interrupting Grimmy and Peter's conversation about what Harry should be in the future. "I'm sure Harry doesn't even want to be in the film industry." She says before glancing at Harry. "I've heard you wanted to be a lawyer before, you're probably confuse on what you want right now, Harry, but we have strong connections at law schools, so we could help you become a lawyer."

And that's how the conversation ended.

***

It has probably been half an hour later and they were still sitting at the dining table, their now empty plates sits in front of them and they were talking about Grimmy's nan, which was quite depressing. 

"So, Harry." Eileen directs her gaze back to him and Harry stiffens at their attention "You must be wondering why we're here." She smiles giddily at him.

Grimmy looks at her "Mum." He scolds, but he was smiling.

"Well, go on then, lad." Peter prompts Grimmy, and Harry frowns because he has no idea what they're on about.

Grimmy sighs as if to say 'all right, all right.' before turning to Harry with an expectant gaze.

"W-what?" He asks as he watches Grimmy face his entire body towards Harry's direction. He frowns when Grimmy rest his hand on top of his.

"Harry Edward Styles." He says as he takes a deep breath and pulls out a small black box "My soulmate, my other half and my partner in life. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man alive?" He smiles.

And there was a long pause as Harry stares at Grimmy with stoic face. He feels himself fall into nothingness as his breath shortens as if he's about to have an anxiety attack. He has to speak, but he can't, because all he hears is white static noise that tunes out every normal sound.

"Honey, record this." He hears Eileen squels from the background "It would make nan very happy."

"Oh, right, right." Peter says "I bet if she sees this, she will have more will to live!"

At the mention of Grimmy's nan, his breath became more labored, because for fuck sake, their grandma is in the fucking ER and her dying wish is to see her grandson get married.

How the fuck can he say no to the proposal now?

Harry gulps "Y-yeah."

They all scream in delight, before Grimmy hugs both of his parents in happiness "I'm getting married!" He shouts and Harry should be celebrating with them, but he can't.

Grimmy was about to pull him for a hug when there was a banging on the door.

Harry excuses himself, thankful for a distraction, and when he sees who's on the other side of the door, he almost sags in relief, because the need to see him was so intense that he almost cry in happiness.

"Zayn!" He cries and he almost throw himself to him, just to seek warmth and comfort.

"Harry." He says frantically "I have something to tell you. You might not believe me, baby, but-"

"Harry, who's there?" They heard Grimmy asks as he made his way to where Harry is. Both of their attention shift on Grimmy, and they look like the were caught doing something illegal with how Grimmy's eyes widen. "Zayn?" He snarls when he saw him.

But Zayn didn't pay him any mind, because he knows now. He knows.

"Harry, Grimmy's not-"

"Are you here to congratulate us?" Grimmy interrupts, smirking at him as he snakes his hands around Harry's waist. At Zayn's curious look Grimmy turns to Harry with a smug smirk "Show him your ring, babe."

At his words, Zayn's eyes widen and his gaze flciks to Harry's right hand, where an ostentanious ring resides.

"Zayn, I can expla-"

"Harry, darling." Grimmy says "My parents are looking for you inside. They didn't get to congratulate you a while ago, so you should go to them." He suggested, steering Harry away from the door.

Harry looks at Grimmy tentatively, before doing what he's asked. When he was finally gone, Grimmy turns to Zayn with a glare.

"What are you doing here, Zayn?"

"You and Harry are..." He stutters, still not believing what he just saw on Harry's finger.

"Yes." Grimmy answers cockily. "We're engage."

"You can't marry Harry." Zayn hisses.

"And why not?"

"Because you're not his soulmate." Zayn says, lifting his chin "I am."

At his claim, Grimmy's eyes suddenly widen "No you're not." He scowls but there was a bit of hesitancy in his stance.

"Yes, I am." Zayn growls. "April 22 in Lights.Co, Harry and I met, and his tattoo turned red."

Grimmy backs away and there's a sudden fear in his eyes "You're lying." He spits.

Zayn shakes his head firmly "Nicole, the girl I was with on the dance floor, said so." He hisses "She saw Harry's tattoo, Grimmy."

At his words, Grimmy suddenly straighten and his bravado came back "Oh, so your basing this theory of yours to what a drunk girl saw?"

Zayn gapes, clearly taken back "She wasn't that drunk."

"Drunk, nonetheless." He shrugs.

"Fuck off, you lying twat." Zayn scoffs "Harry is mine. He's my soulmate."

In an instant, Grimmy's eyes flares with anger "Then explain this." Grimmy raises his right wrist to show his glowing tattoo. The color of the shade was so red that it seems like it was newly shaded.

Zayn flushes "I don't know how you got that, but I fucking know Harry's mine."

Grimmy snorts "Back off, mate, you don't even have a real evidence that you're his soulmate." He smirks "But I do." He sing-songs as he lifts his right wrist as proof.

"Look, here, you twat-"

"No, you look here." Grimmy sneers as he jabs his chest "I am Harry's soulmate. I am Harry's partner, and I am his fiance." He glares "You know what he told me after I proposed to him?" He challenges "He told me that it's the happiest day of his life and he told me that he can't wait to spend the rest of his life with me."

Grimmy grins when he saw Zayn deflates and his confidence wanes.

"So, you better run off back to your own fiance, and stop thinking about Harry. Stop entertaining the thought that you're his soulmate, because you're not." He lets out a disgusted laugh "You don't fucking know how many times Harry told me not to leave him and how in love he is with me, so if you still think he's your soulmate, then you must be mental." He snarls.

"You're lying." Zayn says, but there was doubt in his own voice that made Grimmy's smile big.

"I'm not." He says "So get out of here, Zayn, and never show yourself to Harry, not that you'll see him anymore anyway." He shrugs.

"What do you mean?"

"We're moving to L.A, Zayn." He smirks "I got a job there as a radio host, and Harry accepted a job offer too at BBC as a cameraman."

"What?" Zayn gasps "He doesn't want to be a cameraman. He wants to be a sound producer."

Grimmy shrugs "Well, interest change." He smirks "Now, do everyone a favor and stop showing at our door, or else I'll have you in a restraining order." With that Grimmy shuts the door to his face.

Zayn should've knocked on the door again or even kicked it down. He should've let himself talked to Harry or demanded Harry to see him. He should have stayed in their hallway and waited for Harry.

But he didn't, and he regrets it.

Because that was the last time he saw Harry.

*******

**3 YEARS LATER**

"Are you sure?" Zayn asks distractedly, the phone between his ears and shoulder already feels clammy for being nestled there for too long, as he continues to cook his lunch.

"Yes, Zayn." He can hear the smile in her tone, and Zayn has no doubt that she's rolling her eyes right now. "You don't have to keep sending me flowers every time I tell you that I had a bad day."

Zayn smiles "Well, I can't help it, it's like you're purposely telling me about your crap day at work just so I could give you more flowers."

"I do not!" She laughs "And please stop or else our house would start to look like a floral shop." Jo giggles over the phone.

"I'm sure Emmy would love that."

"Of course, she would. Any three year old kid would love it." She snorts.

"Ugh, she's growing up too fast." Zayn groans as he continues to busy himself with preparing his lunch. "I miss her already. I should surprise her there in Bradford, don't you think?"

She sighs "She would love that. She wants you to leave London actually." Jo says "She misses you that much."

"Well, I miss her more." Zayn smiles.

"I know." She snorts "Anyway, I have to go, Emmy's having a fit."

"Sure, don't forget to tell her that I love her!"

"Of course." She laughs "She loves you too."

"Yeah?" Zayn smiles.

"Yes, so, you better come home already, Mr. Bigshot." She teases "Before Emmy forgets about you."

"I could never be forgotten." Zayn retorts "Anyway, tell your husband that I said hi when he comes back from Liverpool." He says.

"Will do."

"Oh, and before I forget, expect another flower to arrive at your house tomorrow." Zayn says with a chuckle "Don't get mad, I sent it before this phone call, so I didn't know you want me to stop sending flowers."

"What's the flower for this time?" She asks in a grumpy tone.

"It's an apology gift, since I couldn't come to your baby shower next week." He says "Baby number two, right? must be exciting."

"We're hoping it's a boy." She says excitedly "But anyway Emmy's throwing a tantrum right now-"

"Then please attend to my favorite goddaughter's needs." Zayn teases.

She laughs "She's your only goddaughter, sweetie." Jo says before hanging up.

Zayn smiles as he sets his phone down beside him to focus on cooking his chicken curry.

He feels guilty that he couldn't come to Jo's baby shower. Not like Zayn was present at Emmy's baby shower either, but the difference between Jo's first and second baby party is that Zayn is finally invited to this time's party.

He wasn't welcomed on the first baby shower for obvious reasons, because he's the mother's ex fiance.

He was only chosen to be the godfather of their first-born, because Zayn bumped into Jo when her water broke in a supermarket. Zayn was the one who called for a cab and accompany her inside the vehicle. He was also the one who caught Emmy's head when she promptly went out twenty minutes earlier than Jo anticipated during their cab ride towards the hospital, and by the time they got professional help, Emmy was already nestled in Zayn's arms while the umbilical cord was still connected to Jo.

So, of course, he became the godfather of Emmy, since Jo and Olly felt eternally grateful for his help during Jo's birth.

And Zayn's happy that Jo found someone who would love her unconditionally. She's the happiest she's ever been when she's with Olly.

Regardless of the heartbreak Jo went through three yeas ago because of Zayn, she still had the heart to forgive him and put their past behind them. It was a relief that Zayn could now reminisce of their history easily as if there were no tears that were shed and no hearts that were broken. Even though it wasn't easy when Zayn promptly broke off their engagement right after they got back to Bradford, and it wasn't also easy that when he came back to London after four days only to find Harry gone

It broke Zayn, finding out that Harry left London with Grimmy to go to L.A just like Grimmy had said. The fact that everything Grimmy told him in their last encounter was true was a shock to his heart. He almost felt like all the life in him was sucked out of his body and was stored in the box that could never be opened again.

It took him days to be able to sleep again, it took him weeks to finally stop crying, it took him months to convince himself that he's not dying, and it took him years to accept that Harry's never returning.

Zayn's mum was so alarmed and worried for his mental state that she even moved to London to be with him for a while, but Zayn was too hurt to follow his mum's demands whenever she tells him to get up from bed or even eat enough to survive, because Harry's gone, and it's his fault, he knows, which is why it feels so much worse.

For him, food becomes tasteless, sleep becomes fractured and it is impossible to escape the shadow of Harry's presence. It's truly felt like he's being haunted, and when Zayn tries to forget him, he can't, because forgetting Harry was like trying to un-know someone he already met.

Zayn wasn't usually like this when he gets sad, not even when his tattoo burned, he didn't feel this much pain, as if every part of his heart is cracking, and it triggers his tear ducts with each crack that expands in his heart, but he welcomes it. He welcomes the tears that rush down his cheeks and into his pillow when he can't sleep at night. It has become relieving for him to cry, actually. His sadness and grief that's always accompanied by tears still comes often, and it was powerful and replenishing when he lets it all out.

But little by little, as days goes by, and days turned to weeks then into months and then finally into years, Zayn finally found the will to re-assemble his heart. He finally patched some of the crack that expanded where Harry left it open. It's like there's band aids and wrappings that's holding his heart altogether, delicately, nursing it back to recovery.

Zayn starts to smile at little things again, he starts opening up to Louis and Doniya, he even eats three time a day now, and he feels like he's finally getting better.

Then Zayn heard the news; Harry married Grimmy.

And with that, it was like all the anecdotes and bandages that he puts all over his heart for so long has finally snapped, and he was back to a chaotic mess again.

And, fuck, Zayn was back to square one.

***

**A Year Later.**

Zayn was making breakfast with his mum on speaker phone as she tells him all the things that's happening back home, the only highlight of her story was how Safaa already found her soulmate five days ago and they literally can't be separated from one another even when Yaser told Safaa to come home from her date already.

Zayn was laughing and smiling at his mum's stories. He was happy that Safaa already found her soulmate, she's the only one of the girls in their family who hasn't, so it made her moody and bitter. She was actually convinced that her soulmate died or got kidnapped, because most of her friends from school already found their soulmates too, so Zayn's happy that Alec came into Safaa's life.

Zayn was smiling, listening to his mum's voice as he makes himself a cuppa when there was a knock on the door. 

He sighs, thinking that it must be his neighbor again, asking if they could borrow his milk for the nth time. Zayn usually doesn't have a problem with that except for the fact that his neighbor doesn't return all the things he keeps borrowing from Zayn.

When the knocking quickly turns to banging, he told his mum he'll call her back before hurrying towards the door in a dampen mood.

"I'm coming!" He yells, frustrated at the intrusion. He's mother was about to pass the phone to all of his sisters when his neighbor knocks, and he couldn't be bother for the delay to talk to his family just because his fucking neighbor run out of milk again.

He was scowling by the time he gets to the door, holding his milk carton in preparation to give it to his obnoxious neighbor, but when he opens the door, the scowl in his face was immediately wiped off and the milk he was holding slipped from his fingers, and almost instantly, the floor and his shoes were covered in milk.

Zayn was too shocked to say anything, his mouth was hanging open and he could hear his heartbeat drum.

"Harry?" 

It has been four years, and Zayn still finds him undoubtedly beautiful. It took everything in Zayn not to sag in relief at seeing him or jump onto him in desperation.

But Harry wasn't smiling. He wasn't laughing or stumbling into Zayn for a hug. He's eyes were raw red. and his mouth were pink and glossy as if he has been swiping his tongue across his lips all day, and the vein in his neck and forehead were showing, letting Zayn know that he was fuming and seething. His face was so red with resentment that it looks like he was about to explode.

"Harry-"

"How dare you?" Were surprisingly his first words to Zayn, and he was so startled that he almost jumps back. "How dare you not tell me? How dare you keep it from me? How fucking dare you, you fucking prick?" With each word he says, there was a rough shove to Zayn's chest, and it wasn't what Zayn was expecting at all.

"What?" Zayn swallows, and it was the only thing he could utter, because he still couldn't wrapped his head around the fact that he's here. Harry's here.

"Do you know how unhappy I was?" He chokes and there it was, his eyes were turning wet by the second. "Why the fuck didn't you fucking tell me, you selfish prat?" He growls.

"Tell you what?" Zayn asks, taking Harry's hand into his so that Harry would stop shoving him. And he doesn't know what, but touching Harry's skin relieves him, like he's finally free from a suffocating atmosphere.

One touch from Harry and he suddenly feel invigorated.

"Grimmy wasn't my soulmate." He hisses. 

Zayn's heart stops.

"And you fucking knew." He spits

"H-how did you-"

"How did I found out?" He challenges "The better question is, why didn't you look for me?" And his tone was so sad and vulnerable that it pulls Zayn's heart strings.

Zayn, finally snapping out of his disarray thoughts, rakes his hand over his hair "I'm sorry, I wasn't -"

"Sorry doesn't cut it." He sneers.

Zayn looks at him pleadingly "Harry," He begs then shakes his head as if he was utterly confused "How did you even know-"

"I saw the Jax." He says, closing his eyes in frustration as if he's berating himself on how he could be so stupid. "He was taking Jax for four fucking years, Zayn. Four years." He repeats in agony. "He thought I wouldn't know what that drug looks like, he keeps forgetting that I work in a set with directors and backstage crews too. So, he doesn't make an effort to hide it from me sometimes." He says. "But I knew. I knew what it looks like, and to find out that my supposedly soulmate has been deceiving me for years..." He chokes "It's horrible."

Zayn gapes.

"He was pretending to be my fucking soulmate just so he could get his parents and his nan off his back. He fucking made me marry him, moved me to a foreign city and made me take a job that I don't even want, just so his life could be better." He cries "And how fucking dare you, Zayn Malik, to not tell me? Do you have any idea how many times I hoped for you to show up at my flat before I left London? Do you know how many times I cried myself at night hoping you find your way to me and get me out of L.A."

"I'm sorry-"

He looks at him in frenzied rage "No, don't you fucking apologized to me, because sorry doesn't mean anything. He took four fucking years of my life and you're just here in your flat sipping fucking tea. You're selfish." He spits "You and Grimmy are both selfish."

"Harry, I didn't know." He finally bursts out. "I mean, I thought it too. Louis told me, but when I went to you, Grimmy deceived and manipulated me into thinking that I was being delusional. He told me you were so happy with him and how in love you are of him-"

"And you fucking believed him?"

"How can I not when you said yes to his proposal?"

"That's because he proposed to me in front of his parents!"

"I-" Zayn stammers "I'm just sorry." He closes his eyes "How did you even know where I lived?"

"I bumped into Louis." He says in a harsh tone.

"Oh." Zayn exhales "How did you know that I knew?"

Harry sents him an icy glare "I bumped into Nicole."

"Nicole?" 

"Yes." He bites "That's why I know who's my real fucking soulmate."

"Harry, I-"

"She fucking told me who it was." He clenches his jaw "I didn't know what to feel, because it's everything that I want to hear. The man who she told me that was my soulmate--I've been in love with him. God knows what I would even do for him. I was happy when she told me it was you."

Zayn stares at him, his heart fluttering.

"And then she told me," He continues "-that you already knew, and my heart broke because you fucking didn't do anything about it."

"Harry, I told you, Grimmy didn't let me. He deceived me-"

"Yeah, I know," He interrupts, his voice cracking "It's his fault. We were deceived."

"We were."

"I'm sorry too." He wipes his eyes with the back of his hands "I'm sorry because none of this would have happened if I followed my heart." He says "Instead, I followed a fucking tattoo." He laughs bitterly, gesturing at his wrist.

Zayn smiles at him "It's not your fault, I would've probably done that too if I were in your shoes."

Harry nods sadly, and his eyes were still red and his mouth was still pink.

"Can we start over?" Zayn asks, hopefully.

Harry looks at him sharply "What about Jo?"

"I've never married her, Haz, after we got off the train I broke off our engagement."

"Oh." He finally looks at him in the eyes "So you don't have Jo anymore?"

Zayn shakes his head "I don't think I'd ever had her to begin with, ever since you came into my life. " He says, timidly looking at Harry from under his eyelash. 

Then Harry kisses him.

And Zayn doesn't know he was walking around with half a heart, until Harry was fully pressed against him and his heart is beating in sync with his, and that's when Zayn knew he was finally complete.

*******

Harry Styles was 22 when he found out what love felt like. When he saw his soulmate, he instantly knew in his bones, in the deepest part of his heart and in his veins that he has known Zayn's soul lifetimes ago.

Zayn Malik was 24 when he found out what love felt like staring into green eyes, his heart instantly knew who it belongs to, long before its owner even met him.

And when they stayed with each other, they lived in a chaotic house full of domesticated animals and various plants. They stay up till midnight and sleep till noon. They love, they fight, and they kiss, until they both can't remember the time they were never in love.

**Fin.**


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a world where everyone is born with a heart tattoo that turns red when they meet their soulmate, Zayn Malik burned his' when he was younger therefore losing his tattoo. He was all right with an incompetent mark that is until he meets Harry Styles.

**5 Years Later**

"Oh, look at you, you look so handsome in that tux." Zayn hears his mum coos from afar. He can see Lottie nodding in agreement, but Zayn pays them no mind.

"Such a stunning groom." He hears someone breathes but Zayn can't decipher who said it.

He's too busy looking at himself in the mirror, fixing his tie and knotting it tighter, to actually follow their conversation.

"You looked like a handsome prince off to a royal wedding." Phoebe giggles.

"Oh, so I'm a royalty now?" He teases with a cheeky grin.

"In your dreams." Daisy snorts.

"It's my wedding day, you have to be nice to me." He glares at the twins playfully.

The whole Tomlinson siblings and the Malik family were in the groom's room except for Yaser and Safaa. Of course, both families will be here, they're practically one family anyway. The Malik has been taking care of the Tomlinsons since Jay died and they haven't stopped, even when Fizzy tragically died too. They've been with each other through thick and thin, and Yaser and Tricia treated the Tomlinsons like they're their own children. So, when Fizzy died, it was like a part of Zayn's parents died as well. So, of course both families have to be present at the biggest events of each others' lives.

"Stop moving, will you? I'm trying to fix your collar." Zayn hears Doniya hisses to Louis, who only groans.

"Oh my, you look so handsome, my darling." Tricia sniffs and Zayn was alarmed when he sees his mum starts tearing up.

"Don't cry mum, you'll ruin your make up." Walihya fusses.

"I'm so nervous, fuck." He groans, ignoring them all "What if I throw up or faint or trip? What if he doesn't show up at the altar?"

"Don't be stupid." Lottie rolls her eyes. "Of course James will be there."

"You're just having a wedding jitters." Doniya frowns.

"Yeah, don't be nervous." Phoebe says "He would be at the end of aisle, trust us."

"Yeah, cos James is so in love with you." Daisy giggles in a sing-song manner. "And you'll have several babies!"

"I hope you have twins."

"Or triplets!"

"I hope it's a girl."

"We already have too many girls in the family." Zayn scowls, before turning around and asking his mum to knot his tie for him. "We need men."

Phoebe scoffs "No one needs men. They're pigs."

"You're only saying that because you haven't found you soulmate yet." Daisy rolls her eyes.

"Well, I hope my soulmate is a girl." She replies candidly "All the boys in my school are twats and prats."

"Girls, no fighting today." Tricia interjects firmly "It's a special day."

"Well, I just hope James won't pull a runaway bride move." Doniya chuckles nervously. "Or in his case a runaway groom."

"Not funny." He glares.

"Sorry, now I'm nervous." She shrugs.

"He will be there." He laughs nervously, fiddling with his fingers "We're soulmates." He reassures himself.

"Yeah you are." Wal says in a bored tone as she scrolls through her phone.

"He loves me and I love him." He chuckles anxiously.

"Don't worry he'll be there." Tricia fixes him a stare "Doniya, look what you did to him, now the poor boy is all wrung up." She glares at her oldest daughter, who smiles apologetically.

"Hey," Louis calls out, turning to Zayn "Have you seen Harry?"

Zayn frowns, and of course, as usual, at the sound of his name, he suddenly feels all out of breath. "Of course not." He answers, turning back to the mirror and fixing his hair. "Why are you even asking-"

Before Zayn could finish his sentence, there was a small knock on the door, and almost simultaneously all heads shifted to the door that opened deliberately.

Zayn's breath caught between his lips when he saw Harry.

"Are you all good?" He asks, his eyes settling on Zayn's, and the filthy smile he gives him made Zayn bites his lips "Your groom is already ready." He says, not looking away from Zayn. His eyes were almost blown dark black when he looks at Zayn up and down.

"See, Louis, James didn't runaway!" Lottie cackles, fixing her brother's hair. "It's your wedding day, brother, be happy."

Harry laughs as he crosses the room to the other side to get to Zayn "You thought your soon-to-be husband was going to runaway?" He laughs, hugging Zayn from behind "Funny, because he thought you would do that. He actually asked me to check up on you to make sure you didn't runaway."

They all laughed, even Louis. "Well, I can't blame him. The first time we met, I did runaway from him."

"And when he courted you." Zayn reminds.

"And when he first kissed you." Harry supplies.

"And after you had S-E-X!" Zayn adds, his eyes flickering to Daisy and Phoebe, who gives him an unimpressed look.

"Oh, yeah!" Harry laughs "Poor lad, he thought Louis moved to Idaho or something."

"Oh, shut it, you two." Louis snaps. 

Harry and Zayn only laughs.

"What?" Walihya gapes "Jesus, Louis, I didn't know you put James through so much, you knob."

"Walihya, language." Tricia snaps. "What is it with my children today?" She mutters frustratingly.

Louis rolls his eyes "Will you stop calling my fiance by his second name." He sighs exasperatedly "His name is Liam."

Lottie shrugs "We can't help it. He introduced himself to us as James."

"He was nervous." Louis defends "My boy." He breathes dazedly.

Zayn smiles absently, he could still remember the day Louis and Liam met. He and Harry were there when their tattoo hearts simultaneously glowed. Zayn was surprised, their little get together plan instantly disappeared when Louis quickly runs off the bar, because Louis has a fucking girlfriend that time, and to meet his soulmate like that was a struck to his heart.

He and Harry were not expecting it, they only planned to go out drinking with both of their best mates to celebrate Harry's promotion as the head of the Sound Production, and instead of having that, they were pulled back into another soulmate drama again, but years later when Louis and Liam begun dating, they could now easily laugh at what used to be their silly problem. Louis still hasn't stopped scolding Zayn for not introducing Liam to him earlier, so that they could've avoided such unwanted drama.

"Oh, shoot!" Tricia exclaims, staring at her watch. "Wedding's about to start in ten minutes."

"What?" Lottie screeches "All right, everyone out!" She demands "My God, all the flower girls and groomsmaid are here! How can the wedding start when everyone who's part of the ceremony are not in their posts?" She fusses.

"Lottie, calm down." Louis shushes her "I should be the one who's panicking." He says before demanding all of his sisters to get out and queue up.

"Well, as the best man of Liam, I should get back to him." Harry sighs after all the girls have left the room except for Tricia. He leans down and kisses Zayn on the lips, before making a beeline towards Tricia and kissing her on the cheeks.

"I'll only step out for a minute, so please no fighting." Tricia says firmly "And please be quiet. I'm going to ring Yaser to come here. He needs to be with you, Louis, before we both walk you down the aisle."

When Tricia finally left to get a better reception, Zayn turns to Louis with a mischievous grin.

"Are you ready, Mr. Payne?"

***

The reception part of the wedding were everyone's favorite. Everyone's smiling and happy to be finally eating. It was a good thing that they didn't get to witness a runaway groom or an unexpected intruder that would object to the wedding after the judge asks 'Any objections'. 

The relief of the wedding ceremony being finally over was blatant from both Louis and Liam, since they can't believe there were no further problems there were caused during the ceremony.

The wedding was heart-jerking, even though Harry didn't listen to the judge half of the time, he was still happy that he gets to see Zayn walked down the aisle and it feels like it was their own wedding, with the way Zayn's eyes were trained on him and how he smiles fondly when he gets to the aisle and stands opposite from Harry as they wait for their best mates to walk individually.

Harry calls the wedding a success even when his eyes were on Zayn's 99% of the time, Louis doesn't share the same views as Harry, he was still seething at the fact that his aunt Laura took Nigel Payne's seat and they almost cause a havoc that would put Louis into a cardiac arrest. There was also a mishap with the flowers, and also for the fact that Liam's ex showed up, and their wedding band arrived late, but other than that, the wedding was good.

Harry was just finished talking to Ruth and her husband when he spots Zayn sitting on their table with Lily on his lap. The sight of Zayn with a three year old kid makes something in Harry's heart quiver. It makes him imagine a life with Zayn in an untidy house with a couple of small feet running around and wrecking havoc.

A future with Zayn and their little ones.

It's a life they barely discuss. When one of them opens that topic it's immediately replaced by more dogs or plants, but Harry's mind sometimes lingers over it whenever he sees Zayn so gentle and careful with kids.

"Isn't that a sight, huh?" Harry turns to see Jo grinning next to him.

Harry shrugs. It has been five years,, and Harry could proudly say that there were no bad blood between him and Ho, despite the fact that Harry sneaks behind her back to kiss her ex-fiance.

"Honestly, Harry." She sighs in disappointment "When are you going to propose to him? Or adopt a kid? I think my husband is getting tired of you and Zayn always using our kids to play house with."

"Hey! you should thank us that we're always available to look after your children whenever you and Olly are sex deprived."

"Shut up, that's a real problem, you know." She glares "But, honestly, look at the poor lad." They both look at Zayn, who's making funny faces at Lily "He's practically showing you he wants a baby." She reasons "And for God sake, put a ring on his finger all ready!"

"Don't worry-"

"Honestly, you've found your soulmate which is damn near impossible in your case since your match doesn't even have a fucking tattoo, so if I were you, you should be jumping out of joy and dragging Zayn to the nearest church."

"I did jumped out of joy-"

"Then what are you waiting for?" She demands "It has been five years since you found out he's your soulmate."

"You know we've been busy." Harry shakes his head. "Zayn was struggling with his career and so was I. With our jobs and unstable financial life we didn't even have time to buy each other rings." He frowns "And Zayn always said he was fine with it, we're practically married anyway; moving in together, adopting puppies, dressing up each other and sharing one Spotify account."

"Really?" Jo raises her eyebrows in boredom.

"Yeah, and sometimes we share one plate when we eat out." He says as if it's a win "We're practically married."

And it's true. No one could say otherwise, not with the way they scratch each other's back when they have an itch or pop each others' pimple or zit, even when it is somewhere that would be normally disgusting for other couples. They even rubbed ointments on each other's rash spot when one of them has it. They consider 9:00 as their bedtime, and when they say they're going to have a Netflix and Chill, they literally mean they're going to watch a movie and not have sex. They consider grocery shopping and going to Home Depot as a date, and when their mums found out about it they only laughed.

"That doesn't mean anything." She says but her tone suggested otherwise.

Harry raises his eyebrows as if he was being challenged "Yeah, well we don't even close our bathroom door so one of us can use it when we're in the shower, and we don't have to wear sexy underwear or boxers. Zayn wears underwear with holes in it and I still looks at me as if I'm about to fuck Cleopatra, and we don't have our own clothes, my clothes is his and vice versa. Even my underwear!"

"You share underwear?"

"And sometimes when Zayn's out of town, I go to his parents' house just to sleep there or l'll ring up his mum to tell her about my day and I won't even mention him." He says.

And it's true, Zayn doesn't find it weird anymore whenever Harry does that, not after the eight-hundred and fifty three times Harry did it behind his back, and to top it all of, Harry has his own set of keys to Zayn's parents' house, because Yaser and Tricia are just so damn in love with him. Harry even has Safaa's dancing class schedule memorized like it's the back of his hands, because Harry sometimes picks up Safaa, and he also knows what Walihya's allergic to, so whenever he visits Bradford and brings food to the house, he knows what not to cook. He also sometimes trades his car with Doniya just because he likes Don's red Camaro better than his own green car, and Doniya's enchanted enough to lent it to him.

And it was all right, because Zayn is the same with Harry's family. He drives Robin to the doctors for his weekly check ups. He sometimes picks up Gemma's sleeping pills at a pharmacy store. He hangs out with Mike and his friends whenever he's in Cheshire. He signs and receives aunt Matilda Cox's packages at his flat. And he accompanies Anne to a window shopping and gossip about Harry's relatives as if it's his own. He could probably name Harry's distant families one by one and remember their faces with how many times he attended their family reunion with and without Harry. Zayn has also been so involved with Harry's family that he became Harry's proxy whenever Harry can't come to his own uncle's birthday.

Jo looks taken back by this and her mouth was in an 'O' shape "Oh, wow, you are married."

Harry shrugs as if it's old news "Told you."

Jo rolls her eyes "But you still have to propose to him to make it official."

Harry looks over at Zayn and Lily again, and he can see Lily squealing in delight before tugging Zayn's hair hard enough to pull out some of the hair out off its roots. Zayn looks at her in daze before pretending to bite her neck as a punishment.

Harry smiles at the spectacle before turning to Jo with a grin. "Don't worry, I will." he says before making his way over them.

"Hi, babe." He greets, pulling up a chair besides Zayn so he could sit, before pecking him on the cheeks and then kissing Lily on the head.

"Look, darling, she likes me." Zayn says enthusiastically.

"I can see that." He says, not taking his eyes off of his boyfriend.

Zayn smiles at him "Everyone likes me. More than they like you." He teases.

"Mhm can't argue with that." Harry whispers before leaning in to tickle Zayn's neck with his lips and tongue.

"Harry, not in front of Lily." He laughs stretching his neck away from his soulmate's lips.

"All right." Harry grins "How about in front of Macy?"

Zayn frowns "Who?"

Harry grins at him "Zayn Malik, I would love it if we adopt a little girl named Macy."

Zayn only blinks at him before his eyes starts getting wet "W-what?" He chokes. 

Harry smiles at him before holding Zayn's hands and kissing the back of it "Would you like it, babe, if we go to St. Michael's Child Center to adopt a little girl with black hair and brown eyes?"

Zayn starts sobbing "I would love nothing else."

Harry smiles, feeling a rush of affection for him "But wait." He frowns, his forehead creasing.

"What?" Zayn frowns as well, looking nervous at Harry's ominous tone.

"We can't adopt a child," He continues to frown.

Zayn pales at Harry's words "W-what?"

"We can't adopt a child If we're not married." He says. "So that leaves only one thing to do, right?"

"W-what?" Zayn croaks.

"Baby, we've done everything an old married couple could possibly do, and you're probably even wearing my fucking underwear right now, babe, so how about let's make it official?"

Zayn blinks at him before letting out a sob and circling his free hand around Harry's neck and fitting his head on Harry's hair.

"Are you serious?" Zayn cries.

"Of course."

Zayn sobs harder.

"Will you marry me, Zayn Malik?"

"Of course." He chokes, letting out a loud sob.

From afar, he could hear Jo exclaims "It's a wedding miracle!"

But Harry can't hear anything else when Zayn pulls Harry's head to his' and kisses him softly. The kiss from Zayn feels like it would turn Harry into liquid or make his insides burst into flames. After all this years, he still feels like a teenager having his first kiss. He still gets dizzy in daze from kissing Zayn.

Zayn. His beloved. His fiance. The soon-to-be father of his children.

His soulmate.


End file.
